Armenian airlines – Photo Papas Dos from Moscow, Russia
(BRUSSELS) – The EU Commission added airlines certified in Armenia to Tuesday’s update of the list of airlines subject to an operating ban or restrictions within the EU because they do not meet international safety standards.
The update is based on the opinion of aviation safety experts from the EU Member States who met via videoconference from 12-14 May under the auspices of the EU Air Safety Committee (ASC).
This 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.
“The EU Air Safety List should be used as an instrument that helps airlines and countries listed reassess and improve their flying standards,” said the Transport Commissioner Adina Valean: “The decision to include the Armenian carriers on the EU Air Safety List has been made based on the unanimous opinion delivered by the Air Safety Committee.”
He added that the Commission, with the assistance of the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency, stood ready to cooperate and also to invest in Armenia to improve its aviation safety.
The EU Air Safety List helps maintain high levels of safety in the EU, but it also iks intended to help affected airlines and countries to improve safety levels, so that they can eventually be taken off the list.
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;
- 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).
New EU Air Safety List - background guide
