While the government announced an anthology of new destinations last week, it is still impossible for travelers to book tickets.
Resumption of flights to Beijing, new connections Lyon-Algiers, Annaba-Marseille, Toulouse-Oran… On March 10, the Algerian Ministry of Transport announced an ambitious new program, with no less than 108 additional international flights each week.
Some of these flights had not been operated since the very beginning of the pandemic, then argued the spokesperson for Air Algérie, Amine Andaloussi, interviewed by the site visa-algerie.com.
But the marketing of tickets is slow for this program supposed to be operational from March 15, arousing discontent and misunderstanding of the Algerian diaspora on social networks.
A ministry in too much of a hurry?
It must be said that on the very day of the announcement, another communiqué had the effect of a thunderclap in Algerian transport circles: Aissa Bekkai, the sector minister, was dismissed “for having committed a serious fault when carrying out its missions”, indicated the presidency, without further details.
Is there a connection with the new flight schedule? The French destinations, in any case – which represent 74 of the 108 routes announced – seemed not to have yet completed the various authorization procedures with the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, the sector regulator, according to the Algerian press.
Put under pressure by the government on the Air Algérie file, with in particular the hearing of the interim CEO, Amine Debaghine Mesraoua, and several senior executives of the company on March 6 before the Transport Commission of the National Assembly (APN) , did the ministry want to go too fast? Still, the announcements took place even though discussions with the destination countries had not begun, if we are to believe the interview with Mr. Andaloussi.
The diversification of Air Algerie flights was one of the main priorities of the now ex-minister, who had only held this position since last July.
Pending the appointment of Aissa Bekkai’s successor, it is Kamel Nasri, Minister of Public Works, who takes over his former portfolio on an interim basis.
