Aviation Safety: Commission adopts new EU Air Safety List

The European Commission today updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union as they do not meet international safety standards. Ensuring the highest level of air safety for Europeans and all other passengers travelling in the European Union is at the very heart of the Commission’s aviation safety policy.

Following today's update, no new proposals for lifting or inclusion into the EU Air Safety List have been adopted, but there have been a number of technical adaptations. In particular, carriers which no longer exist were removedto include the new air carriers recently certified by national aviation authorities from countries that are subject to a ban.

The EU Air Safety List not only helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU, but also helps affected airlines and countries to improve their levels of safety, in order for them to eventually be taken off the list. In addition, the EU Air Safety List has become a major preventive tool, as it motivates countries with safety problems to act upon them before a ban under the EU Air Safety List would become necessary.

Following today's update, a total of 103 airlines are banned from EU skies:

• 97 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).

Background

Today's update of the EU Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of the aviation safety experts from the Member States who met from 18-19 May 2021 under the auspices of the EU Air Safety Committee, via videoconference. This Committee is chaired by the European Commission with the support of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The update equally got the support from the European Parliament's Transport Committee. Assessment is made against international safety standards, and notably the standards promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Commission is constantly looking at ways to improve aviation safety, notably through collaborative efforts with aviation authorities worldwide to raise global safety standards.

For More Information

List of airlines banned within the EU

Importance of aviation for the European economy

EASA Technical Cooperation Projects