The European Commission today updated the EU Air Safety List, which is the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union because they do not meet international safety standards. Following today’s update, one airline certified in Russia, I Fly, has been added to the EU Air Safety List. This is a continuation of the process started by the Commission in April this year against those Russian airlines that have knowingly allowed flights without valid certificates of airworthiness. Doing so is in breach of international aviation safety standards.
Commissioner for Transport Adina V?lean said: “Following the decision taken in April to include 20 Russian airlines that operated foreign-owned aircraft without a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, another airline was put on the EU Air Safety List today. The Commission closely monitors all Russian airlines that have foreign-owned aircraft without a valid certificate of airworthiness in their fleet, added illegally by Russia added to its Register. As I already mentioned in April, I want to underline that this decision is not another sanction against Russia; it has been taken solely on the basis of technical and safety grounds.”
Following today’s update, a total of 118 airlines are banned from EU skies:
- 90 airlines certified in 15 different States (Afghanistan, Angola (with the exception of 2 airlines), Armenia, Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Sudan), due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these States;
- 22 airlines certified in Russia, as well as 6 individual airlines from other States, 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).
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 (North Korea).
Background
Today’s update to the EU Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of Member State aviation safety experts, who met from 17-19 May 2022 under the auspices of the EU Air Safety Committee, via videoconference. This committee is chaired by the Commission with support from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The update has the support of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee. Decisions under the EU Air Safety List are based on international safety standards, and notably those of the International Civil Aviation Organization.