Mr. Don Dudek reports

AVION INTERSECTS SIGNIFICANT GOLD MINERALIZATION AT BETEA ZONE, KOFI PROPERTY, MALI INCLUDING 3.50 G/T AU OVER 57.0 METRES AND 1.85 G/T AU OVER 48.0 METRES

Avion Gold Corp. is releasing the results from 10 reverse circulation drill holes totalling approximately 1,589 metres completed over a 500-metre strike of the Betea Central zone's interpreted strike length of approximately 1,000 metres.

The Betea Central zone contains a historic National Instrument 43-101-compliant estimated indicated mineral resource of 1,154,000 tonnes grading 2.30 grams per tonne Au totalling 111,000 ounces and an inferred mineral resource of 981,000 tonnes grading 1.60 g/t Au totalling 52,000 ounces (Roberts, 2008). Note that a qualified person has not carried out the work required to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves for Avion and therefore Avion is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.

Significant new results include the following:

• 2.99 grams per tonne Au over 40.0 metres;
• 1.85 grams per tonne Au over 48.0 metres;
• 3.50 grams per tonne Au over 57.0 metres;
• 2.16 grams per tonne Au over 12.0 metres;
• 2.49 grams per tonne Au over 14.0 metres;
• 2.70 grams per tonne Au over 6.0 metres;
• 9.25 grams per tonne Au over 4.0 metres;
• 30.64 grams per tonne Au over 2.0 metres.

The Betea Central zone lies approximately 25 kilometres north-northwest of Avion's Tabakoto mine. This zone is part of an approximate 3,000-metre-long, up-to-200-metre-wide northerly striking gold system (Betea South, Central and North zones) that has been tested by generally widely spaced drill holes down to a maximum depth of 150 metres. Combined, these zones host an indicated mineral resource estimate of 1,154,000 tonnes grading 2.30 g/t Au totalling 111,000 ounces and an inferred mineral resource of 2,623,000 tonnes grading 1.78 g/t Au totalling 52,000 ounces (Roberts, 2008). The Betea zones are hosted by carbonate-altered, sulphidized, and quartz-veined silicified and tourminalized greywackes. The Betea zones are believed to be similar in character to Randgold's Gara deposit (reserves of 2.73 million ounces Au grading 3.73 g/t Au and resources of 3.74 million ounces gold grading 4.05 g/t Au -- Holliday, 2008), which is also hosted by carbonate-altered, sulphidized and tourmaline-altered rocks. Drill and gold-in-soil sample data indicate that the Betea gold system may extend beyond the currently defined resource area to a total approximate projected length of 5,000 metres along strike. Mapping and drilling will be required to support this theory.

Don Dudek, Avion's senior vice-president, exploration, stated: "The Betea zone represents yet another style of gold mineralization on Avion's properties in the Tabakoto/Kofi project area and the prospectivity of the western Mali gold belt. As with other Avion gold zones, we see the positive influence of cross-structures, which locally enhance the width and grade, of the mineralized zones. We are also encouraged by the zone's similarity with Randgold's Gara deposit and the overall extent of the gold-bearing system and are optimistic that we will be able to increase the mineral resources in this area."

The Betea Central zone consists of at least three parallel lenses (Main, FW1 and FW2) of gold mineralization. The Main zone demonstrates the best continuity along the 1,000-metre strike of the zone. Within the Main zone, Avion has identified five moderate-north-plunging, higher-grade sections that vary from 50 metres to 150 metres in strike length. The secondary FW1 and FW2 zones lie in the footwall of the Main zone, generally adjacent to the higher-grade sections in the Main zone. Avion hole BTRC-11-004 intersected all three zones, returning 1.95 g/t Au over 10.0 metres (Betea Central Main zone), 3.98 g/t Au over 15.0 metres (Betea Central FW1 zone) and 10.78 g/t Au over 11.0 metres (Betea Central FW2 zone), which, when combined, returned a composite intercept of 3.50 g/t Au over 57.0 metres. This hole returned the best grade over width on the zone to date and management believes it demonstrates the strength and potential of the gold-mineralized system.

During 2011, Avion completed 24 reverse circulation drill holes totalling 6,467 metres over the Betea Central zone and plans to drill at least another 12 holes totalling 2,160 metres, weather permitting, over the next month. In addition, Avion plans to take advantage of a new metallurgical laboratory set up at the Tabakoto mine site to complete preliminary metallurgical tests of the Betea zone mineralization. A summary of assay composites for the first 10 holes is given in this news release.

Avion's procedures for handling reverse circulation drill chips comprise initial splitting of the rock chips from one-metre drill length samples into 2.0-kilogram samples, as well as description and logging into a database. These samples were delivered to the SGS-Xral laboratory in Kayes, Mali. Assay standard samples are inserted every 25th sample and duplicate reverse circulation from every 20th sample are sent in as a separate sample to double-check the assays from these intervals. This sampling procedure was initiated and periodically reviewed by Avion's senior vice-president, exploration, Mr. Dudek, PGeo. The assay samples are then crushed to three millimetres, with a riffle split if required, to 1.5 kilograms and the entire sample milled in an LM2 mill to a nominal 95 per cent passing 75 microns. All the preparation equipment is flushed with barren material prior to the commencement of the job and all sample bowls are scraped clean with a scratch pad. Gold values were determined by fire assay and AAS with a 50-gram nominal sample weight. In order to ensure that local, exceptionally high-grade assays are not overly represented in assay composites, Avion is also presenting assay composites, with high-grade samples capped at 30.0 g/t Au as per the Roberts (2008) resource report that included the Betea zone.

Avion's 2011 approximately 75,000-metre drill-focused exploration program is well under way with 308 core and reverse circulation holes totalling approximately 44,600 metres of drilling completed. Drilling completed to date is split evenly between Avion's Mali projects (Tabakoto and Kofi) and Avion's Burkina Faso property (Hounde) with a core and an RC drill rig active on the Kofi property and two core rigs active on the Hounde property. Two additional core drill rigs have been requested for the Tabakoto property.

Mr. Dudek, PGeo, the senior vice-president, exploration, of the company, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release.

                BETEA CENTRAL ZONE GOLD ASSAY COMPOSITES

Hole ID          From     To  Width Estimated(i)   Grade     Capped(ii)
                  (m)    (m)    (m)   true width   (g/t)    grade (g/t)

BTRC-11-0001        0    5.0    5.0                 0.83           0.83
BTRC-11-0001     29.0   46.0   17.0         14.1    0.69           0.69
includes         29.0   32.0    3.0          2.5    0.99           0.99
includes         34.0   39.0    5.0          4.2    0.86           0.86
includes         42.0   46.0    4.0          3.3    0.94           0.94
BTRC-11-0001     64.0   65.0    1.0                 8.21           8.21
BTRC-11-0002      2.0    3.0    1.0                 1.61           1.61
BTRC-11-0002     80.0  116.0   36.0         26.7    3.25           2.52
includes         80.0   94.0   14.0         10.4    5.13           3.20
includes        102.0  116.0   14.0         10.2    3.11           3.11
BTRC-11-0003      0.0    4.0    4.0                 1.25           1.25
BTRC-11-0003     53.0  101.0   48.0         31.5    1.85           1.85
includes         53.0   76.0   23.0         15.1    2.53           2.53
includes         81.0  101.0   20.0         11.4    1.51           1.51
BTRC-11-0003    145.0  146.0    1.0                 1.75           1.75
BTRC-11-0003    153.0  154.0    1.0                 1.37           1.37
BTRC-11-0004    126.0  183.0   57.0         40.0    3.45           1.94
includes        127.0  137.0   10.0          8.3    1.95           1.95
includes        145.0  160.0   15.0          8.0    3.79           2.43
includes        172.0  183.0   11.0          8.2   10.78           4.83
BTRC-11-0005     98.0  101.0    3.0          3.0    7.71           5.81
BTRC-11-0005    106.0  108.0      2                 0.67           0.67
BTRC-11-0005    150.0  151.0    1.0            1    0.51           0.51
BTRC-11-0006     22.0   23.0    1.0                 2.88           2.88
BTRC-11-0006     40.0   42.0    2.0          1.5   30.64           9.37
BTRC-11-0006     51.0   52.0    1.0                 1.57           1.57
BTRC-11-0006     79.0   86.0    7.0          7.0    1.10           1.10
BTRC-11-0006    106.0  107.0    1.0                 1.40           1.40
BTRC-11-0006    113.0  125.0   12.0         12.0    1.02           1.02
includes        113.0  115.0    2.0          2.0    1.37           1.37
includes        118.0  125.0    7.0          7.0    1.27           1.27
BTRC-11-0006    136.0  145.0    9.0          9.0    1.19           1.19
includes        136.0  140.0    4.0          4.0    1.99           1.99
BTRC-11-0007     44.0   57.0   13.0         13.0    1.18           1.18
BTRC-11-0007     75.0   76.0    1.0                 1.52           1.52
BTRC-11-0007     86.0   93.0    7.0          7.0    2.52           2.52
BTRC-11-0008     62.0   77.0   15.0         13.0    2.16           2.16
BTRC-11-0008     82.0   88.0    6.0          5.2    1.55           1.55
BTRC-11-0008     94.0   99.0    5.0          4.4    2.84           2.84
BTRC-11-0008    124.0  125.0    1.0                 1.24           1.24
BTRC-11-0008    128.0  129.0    1.0                 1.14           1.14
BTRC-11-0009      1.0    3.0    2.0                 8.16           8.16
BTRC-11-0009     33.0   37.0    4.0          3.1    1.72           1.72
BTRC-11-0010     47.0   94.0   47.0         37.2    2.08           1.82
includes         49.0   81.0   32.0         25.3    1.75           1.75
includes         90.0   94.0    4.0          3.2    9.25           6.19
BTRC-11-0010    156.0  157.0    1.0                 1.19           1.19
BTRC-11-0010    180.0  183.0    3.0                 0.87           0.87

(i) True width estimated where there is sufficient information.              
(ii) Au values capped at 15 g/t Au as per Roberts, 2008.                      

We seek Safe Harbor.