BA banned from Angola

British Airways (BA) has been banned from flying to the African nation of Angola, reports suggest.

The move comes after British authorities banned Angolan national carrier TAAG Angola Airlines from UK airports.

TAAG had planned to launch a new direct service between London Gatwick and Luanda - the capital of the south-west African state.

However, last week the airline was blacklisted by the European Commission over its safety record. As a result, UK authorities told TAAG they would not be able to launch their service.

"In reaction to this, we had no option but to reciprocate and that's why British Airways were not allowed to fly to Luanda on Friday," Angola's deputy minister of transport, Helder Preza, told Reuters.

Before the ban, BA operated one flight a week between London and Luanda.

Last week, a TAAG flight crashed in the north of the country, killing five people.

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