More Airlines Added to EU Air Safety List

The European Commission has updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union as they do not meet international safety standards.

According to the Commission, all airlines certified in Armenia have been added to the list, after further assessment of the country’s safety oversight capabilities. The decision follows the hearings of the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) and six Armenian air carriers.

In addition, the list of air carriers certified in Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nepal, and Sierra Leone has been reviewed and amended, with new carriers from these countries added, and carriers which do not exist any longer removed.

Following the update, a total of 96 airlines are banned from EU skies:

• 90 airlines certified in 16 states, due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states: Afghanistan, Angola (with the exception of two airlines), Armenia, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Moldova (with the exception of three airlines), Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
• Six individual airlines, based on serious safety deficiencies identified: Avior Airlines (Venezuela), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Iraqi Airways (Iraq), Med-View Airlines (Nigeria) and Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).
• An additional three airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran) and Air Koryo (North Korea).

The EU Air Safety List not only helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU, but also helps affected airlines and countries to improve their levels of safety, in order for them to eventually be taken off the list. In addition, the EU Air Safety List has become a major preventive tool, as it motivates countries with safety problems to act upon them before a ban under the EU Air Safety List would become necessary.

Press here to see the full list of banned airlines.