Fly Baghdad Banned from Flying in the European Union
The European Commission has included Fly Baghdad on the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, because they do not meet international safety standards.
Fly Baghdad is a private Iraqi airline, headquartered in Baghdad, with flights based at Baghdad International Airport.
According to the Commission, the airline has been included on the list and is banned from flying in the EU due to safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
“These led to the decision not to grant Fly Baghdad a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation,” the Commission said.
The updated EU Air Safety List also reflects the decision to maintain the ban on air carriers certified in Nepal, in view of continued safety concerns identified during an assessment visit to Nepal during September 11-15. However, the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority’s proactive engagement and ongoing efforts to enhance its safety oversight capacity, were duly acknowledged during the EU Air Safety Committee meeting.
129 airlines banned from EU skies
Following the update, a total of 129 airlines are banned from EU skies, including 101 certified in 15 states, due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states; 22 airlines certified in Russia, as well as 6 individual airlines from other states, based on serious safety deficiencies identified: Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Fly Baghdad (Iraq) and Iraqi Airways (Iraq).
Two additional airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Iran Air (Iran) and Air Koryo (North Korea).
The update to the EU Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of Member State aviation safety experts, who met in Brussels during November 14-16 under the auspices of the EU Air Safety Committee. The committee is chaired by the European Commission with support from EASA. The European Parliament’s Transport Committee also supports the update. Decisions under the EU Air Safety List are based on international safety standards, and notably the standards decreed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The full list of banned airlines can be seen here.