Aviation: EC updates the EU air safety list
10-Dec-2015 Today 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. The air carrier Air Astana from Kazakhstan, restricted since 2009, has been released from the List and is now allowed to operate in European airspace without restrictions. Iraqi Airways had to be included on the List, due to safety concerns. The Commission took the decisions on both airlines with the unanimous agreement of the EU Air Safety Committee. For the first time the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has assembled the additional safety information supporting the Commission's decisions through a new EU program, the Third Country Operator authorization.
Violeta Bulc, EU Commissioner for Transport said: "Monday's adoption of the Aviation Strategy for Europe stressed the European Commission's commitment to protecting high standards in aviation safety. Today I am satisfied that after six years we are able to clear Air Astana, the national air carrier of Kazakhstan, from the European Air Safety List. Unfortunately, upholding such high standards also requires tough decisions which is why all other Kazakh air carriers have to stay on the List and this is also why we had to include the air carrier Iraqi Airways on the Air Safety List."
The updated EU Air Safety List includes all airlines certified in 20 states, for a total of 228 airlines: Afghanistan, Angola (with the exception of one airline which operates under restrictions and conditions), Benin, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon (with the exception of 2 airlines which operate under restrictions and conditions), Indonesia (with the exception of 4 airlines), Kazakhstan (with the exception of one airline), the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Libya, Mozambique, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Zambia. The list also includes two individual airlines: Iraqi Airways (Iraq) and Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), bringing the overall total of airlines banned from EU skies to 230.
Additionally, the list includes seven airlines which are subject to operational restrictions. These airlines can only fly to the Union with specific aircraft types: Afrijet and SN2AG (Gabon), Air Koryo (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran), TAAG Angolan Airlines (Angola) and Air Madagascar (Madagascar).