Resuming Flights To China Threatens Algeria’s National Security!

Members of the National Assembly and Civil Society activists criticized the decision to resume flights between Algeria and China, describing the move as “irresponsible”, considering that Algeria is not qualified to address the risks of the spread of the deadly virus, which has caused many infected in developed countries that possess the modern health technologies.

The decision to reprogram flights between Algeria and China, after being suspended due to the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, sparked the reactions of MPs and civil society activists, who described the move as “dangerous” especially since many countries stopped their flights to and from the areas that are experiencing the epidemic, where the Member of the National Assembly Abdelouahab Ben Zaim, called on the Ministry of Transport to provide clarifications in this regard, saying: “The Coronavirus and its spread is an issue of national security for the Algerians … Who allowed the reprogramming of the flights?”.

For its part, the Algerian Organization for Consumer Protection and Guidance sent a letter to the Minister of Public Works and Transport regarding the resuming of airlines with China, asking the minister to reconsider the decision to open airlines between Algeria and China, especially since the decision – according to them – sparked controversy and anger among the citizens.

The head of the Algerian Organization for Consumer Protection and Guidance, Mostafa Zabdi, told Echorouk that “officials should provide clarifications regarding the return of flights between Beijing and Algeria, so if a country’s decision has backgrounds that we do not know, we trust state officials, provided that this decision is followed by procedures of precaution to prevent the spread of the virus, especially at the airports, and if it is an individual decision of the Ministry of Transport or the airline company, they must, review the case and provide explanations”.

It is known that the Algerian Airlines Company has previously decided to suspend all its flights to China as a temporary preventive measure due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, and then the company officials justified the decision saying that Algeria has taken preventive measures in the health aspect, to stem the new Coronavirus spread, which is provoking international health emergencies.

Previously, the General Manager of Air Algérie, Bakhouche Allache, has told Echorouk that the plane from China is not a resumption of commercial flights between the two countries, but an evacuation of Algerian nationals who are stuck in this country due to the Coronavirus in addition to nationals from other countries.