The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted the ban of Ukrainian-made Antonov- 12 cargo planes from Emirates airspace which it imposed in January. But officials at the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) maintained they were prepared to take further action against operators using the aircraft if they found unsafe practices, following a spate of accidents that have taken place in recent months.

The GCAA is allowing resumption of An-12 operations under a number of conditions including operators presenting a letter of certification from the manufacturer, the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukraine, attesting to each aircraft’s airworthiness.

The An-12 is a popular aircraft used for air cargo flights from the UAE to Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan due to its low cost of operation and ability to land in adverse conditions such as gravel or dirt runways.