By Lawrence Williams
The European Commission (EC) updated its Air Safety List last December, banning 129 airlines from operating within the European Union airspace.
The decision came on the basis of serious safety concerns following a Brussels meeting of the EU Air Safety Committee last November, with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Parliament’s Transport Committee in attendance.
A total of 100 airlines from 15 states are banned due to inadequate safety oversight, while 22 airlines certified in Russia and seven individual airlines from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Suriname, Iran, and Iraq are also affected.
Air carriers certified in Sierra Leone and Liberia are said to have remained on the EU’s blacklist for a long period due to safety reasons and a lack of regulatory oversight, including their failure to meet standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“Ensuring the highest level of air safety for Europeans and all other travelling passengers is at the very heart of the commission’s aviation safety policy,” the commission said.
Air Tanzania is also affected by the ban, with further restrictions imposed on its Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism.
He adds that Air Tanzania should “take swift and decisive action” to address these safety issues while also offering the EC’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities.