UAE air cargo companies have joined forces to appeal against a decision by the General Civil Aviation Authority banning Antonov An-12 airplanes from UAE airspace. The authority last week ordered all Antonov An-12 airplanes out of the country by today, citing safety concerns after a recent string of accidents involving the four-engine turboprop plane. In a meeting yesterday with a civil aviation official, representatives of 14 air-cargo companies that use An-12s complained that the ban was unfair and said there was no evidence that the accidents were caused by technical problems with the planes. ¡°This is a claim that isn¡¯t supported by any particular document or evidence,¡± said Alexander Smolin, general manager of Sky Support Service in Sharjah and a spokesman for the cargo companies. ¡°This aircraft is as safe as any aircraft.¡± Aviation authority officials said yesterday that they could not comment because of an ongoing investigation into the safety of the Ukrainian-manufactured aeroplane. Although the companies claim the ban is permanent, it is understood GCAA officials told the daily newspaper Al Ittihad it would only be a temporary ban. Mr Smolin said air-cargo companies would have trouble meeting today¡¯s deadline to take the An-12s out of the UAE because they were under contract to such companies as DHL and UPS. Fifteen air-cargo operators in the UAE use An-12s to transport goods to Africa, the Middle East and South Asia frequently, from airports in Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah, Dubai and Fujairah.