It took De Havilland Aviation (DHA), based at Bournemouth Airport, three years to restore the craft and gain a full permit to fly.

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During this period it did not apply for a permit and when it next applied for a permit to fly in UK air space, in May 2002, it was granted, and it has since been flying regularly in British air space with the full approval of British safety officials.

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As for Defense Minister Ehud Barak, as a member of the Olmert government, his main personal failure has been his inability to convince the Pentagon to approve Israel's requests to purchase refueling jets and bunker buster bomb kits, and to permit Israeli jets to fly over Iraqi airspace.

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Among them was Air Memphis, which did not have a permit - after Egyptian authorities failed to respond to "adverse ramp inspection findings" - to fly in UK air space from April 1999 to May 2002.

BBC: The downed Egyptian plane was banned from Switzerland