African airlines and countries with a bad safety record are to be publicly reprimanded in March under efforts to improve safety in African skies.

The statement was made by African Civil Aviation Commission ( ACAC) President Tshepo Peege at a press conference held in Pretoria on Monday.

Peege said that ACAC would visit several problem countries in Africa to help them get their house in order ahead of the March meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on action to improve safety records.

Airlines and operators had been audited and problems pointed out as part of a global safety audit in the past year, said Peege.

"After March, we will name these countries and operators publicly to force them to take action," he said.

He said: "You want to fly out as a passenger and return as a passenger, and not return as cargo."

Source: Xinhua