Indonesian air carriers are no longer prohibited from operating in the European Union (EU) following the European Commission’s action on Thursday to remove the airlines from its list of those barred from flying in EU airspace.
The commission issued an updated version of its Air Safety List, which names airlines that have failed to comply with international air safety standards and therefore are banned from operating within the EU.
All Indonesian air carriers were placed on the list in 2007 because of what the commission called “unaddressed safety concerns.” In subsequent years, seven Indonesian airlines were removed from the list, but all others remained listed until Thursday.
“The EU Air Safety List is one of our main instruments to continuously offer the highest level of air safety to Europeans,” EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said. “I am particularly glad that after years of work, we are today able to clear all air carriers from Indonesia. It shows that hard work and close cooperation pay off.”
The commission says that the list helps maintain high levels of aviation safety in the EU and also helps the named airlines and the countries where they are certified to improve their levels of safety.
Thursday’s revised list names 119 airlines that are banned from EU operations, including 114 airlines that are certified in 15 countries and are banned because of a lack of safety oversight by national aviation authorities — Afghanistan, Angola (except for one airline that operates under restrictions), Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon (except for two airlines that operate under restrictions), the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
In addition, five individual airlines are banned because of safety concerns relating specifically to those airlines — Iran Aseman Airlines, Iraqi Airways, Blue Wing Airlines (operating from Suriname), Med-View Airlines (operating from Nigeria) and Air Zimbabwe.
Six other airlines are subject to operational restrictions that allow them to fly within the EU only with specific aircraft types — Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires SN2AG of Gabon, Air Koryo of North Korea, Air Service Comores of the Comoros, Iran Air and TAAG Angola Airlines.