The EU Commission has added air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania to the list of airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.
The update to the EU Air Safety List of airlines which can no longer operate in the EU because they do not meet international safety standards brings the total of airlines banned from EU skies to 169.
The decision is based on serious safety concerns identified during assessments conducted by European Union aviation safety experts. They revealed that civil aviation authorities in these countries are unable to ensure compliance with international safety standards for air carriers.
For Suriname and Tanzania, the identified safety shortcomings cover both operational and regulatory areas. These include a shortage of qualified personnel, ineffective oversight processes in flight operations and airworthiness, and non-compliance with international safety standards by both countries’ civil aviation authorities and certified air carriers.
“Passenger safety remains our top priority,” said Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas: “Following a detailed technical assessment, the European Commission has added all air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List due to serious deficiencies in national aviation oversight. We urge both countries to address these issues promptly. The Commission stands ready to support their efforts toward full compliance with international safety standards.”
Following the update, banned from EU skies are:
- 142 airlines certified in 17 States [1], due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these States;
- 22 airlines certified in Russia, as well as 5 individual airlines from other States, based on serious safety deficiencies identified: Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), 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 (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).
Questions & answers on the EU Air Safety List
List of airlines banned within the EU
[1] Afghanistan, Angola (with the exception of 2 airlines), Armenia, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone,Sudan, Suriname, and Tanzania.
