Afghan airlines facing ban from EU air space
(KABUL) - Afghanistan's international airlines are facing a possible ban from European air space on safety grounds as early as next week, officials said Thursday.
Acting transport minister Daoud Ali Najafi said he would go to Brussels to present an action plan to the European Union's air safety committee that was authorised by President Hamid Karzai earlier this week.
"I hope I can convince the Europeans not to ban Afghan airlines from flying into Europe," he told AFP.
"President Karzai has authorised me to establish a civil aviation authority under the transport ministry with exclusive authority to regulate Afghan civilian airlines," he said.
The EU's air safety committee is set to meet on Tuesday to consider banning all Afghan airlines because of a lack of safety standards, a senior European official said.
"There's no evidence that the minister of transport is able to exercise effective oversight of Afghan carriers," he said, speaking on condition he not be identified. "As a consequence, the country could be widely banned.
"They need a safety oversight institution in place, they have to have inspectors in place. All the deficiencies must be fixed immediately."
Any ban would apply to the privately-owned Kam Air, Safi Airways and Pamir Airways, which fly to Germany, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Central Asia and the Gulf. State-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines is already banned from the EU.
No Afghan airlines fly to the United States.
Najafi said that regulations complying with European, United States and international standards had been drawn up and would be distributed to the companies before he left for Brussels early next week.
"Safety is the heart of aviation and we have a plan for international assistance, licensing, certification, mechanical, maintenance and training," he said, adding: "International help is necessary."
Western officials and diplomats said Afghanistan had long lacked adequate aviation safety oversight, but added that authorities were aware of the urgent need to meet international standards if airlines were to continue to fly.
"They cannot do it by themselves, they need money, personnel and time," said a Western aviation expert, on condition of anonymity. "The international community will have to help."
Any EU ban was likely to be followed by other countries, including Afghanistan's northern neighbours, the former Soviet republics, as well as Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, the European official said.
"Safety and security are uncompromisable criteria and principles applicable to all carriers," said the EU's ambassador to Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas.
"It is important that the government of Afghanistan ensures adequate oversight over their international air carriers," he said.
Random inspections of Kam Air planes in Europe had uncovered poor safety standards, raising questions about safety oversight given that other airlines were already banned, said another Western official.
Kam Air's vice president for legal matters, Feda Mohammad Fedawi said "some issued were raised" regarding the airline's safety standards, adding: "We talked to British aviation officials, the problem has almost been solved."
A Pamir Airways passenger plane carrying 43 people crashed in mountains outside Kabul on May 17, killing all on board.