The European Commission has revised its Air Safety List, adding four individual air carriers to the roster of those banned from the European Union (EU) and lifting the ban on all carriers based in Benin and Mozambique. The tally of those now prohibited from operating in the EU totals 181.
“I am glad that we are able to take all carriers from Benin and Mozambique out of the Air Safety List,” EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said after Tuesday’s update was approved. “Their reforms have paid off. “
The four airlines added to the list are Med-View of Nigeria, Mustique Airways of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Aviation Company Urga of Ukraine and Air Zimbabwe. The commission cited their “unaddressed safety deficiencies that were detected by the European Aviation Safety Agency during the assessment for a third-country operator authorisation.”
The banned airlines also include — with certain exceptions — all 174 air carriers certified in 16 countries because of what the commission says is a “lack of safety oversight” by their civil aviation authorities. The countries are Afghanistan, Angola (with the exception of one airline operating under restrictions and conditions), Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon (with the exception of two airlines operating under restrictions and conditions), Indonesia (with the exception of seven airlines), the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
The list bans seven individual airlines from other countries because of commission concerns about airline safety, including the four carriers added in the list revision. The others are Iran Aseman Airlines, Iraqi Airways and Blue Wing Airlines of Suriname.
Six additional airlines may fly to and from EU counties only with specific aircraft types. They are Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires (SN2AG), both of Gabon; Air Koryo of North Korea; Air Service Comores of the Comoros; Iran Air; and TAAG Angola Airlines.