Indonesia in black

The European Commission has published the final list of unreliable airlines

The European Commission yesterday approved the updated, fourth version of the blacklist of foreign airlines that are prohibited (or restricted) from flying through EU airspace due to non-compliance with current aviation safety standards. The innovations included in the list are fully consistent with those announced in the draft decision of the European Commission, published in the middle of last month. There are no Russian airlines on the list. The European Commission only noted that the Russian aviation authorities independently imposed restrictions on those air carriers under their jurisdiction that had a chance of being included in this document. Exactly the same measures were taken by the relevant departments in Bulgaria and Moldova.

Since yesterday, the pan-European blacklist includes more than 150 airlines that are completely blocked from flying into the skies of Europe, and four more that can use only part of their fleet for flights there. Civil aviation in some African and Asian countries is separated from Europe in principle. The ban applies not only to specific companies from these countries listed on the blacklist, but also to all others that have the misfortune of being registered there (or will appear there in the future).

In fact, the announcement of another such “forbidden country” became the main innovation of the fourth version of the blacklist. It included 51 Indonesian airlines, as well as all other air carriers under the jurisdiction of this island state. Other “newcomers” in this unpleasant company are the Angolan TAAG and the Ukrainian Volare.

But some “veterans” on the list have improved and deserve relief. The European Commission decided that Pakistan PIA has increased the number of aircraft that meet safety standards. Now Pakistanis will be able to use most of their fleet on routes to Europe. The list of punished Kyrgyz airlines has also been revised. True, in this case we are not talking about the fact that one of them has improved - the European Commission has simply crossed off the list of companies that have ceased to exist.

In a message about updating the blacklist, the European Commission states that the authorities of three countries - Russia, Bulgaria and Moldova - independently took measures against airlines for which Europeans had questions about security. Russia notified the European Commission that it has completely banned flights to Europe for the companies Kuban Airlines, Yakutia, Airlines 400 and Kavminvodyavia, and has also limited the use of the aircraft fleet of Gazpromavia, UTair, Krasair, Atlant-Soyuz. , Ural Airlines and State Transport Company Rossiya.

Bulgaria has revoked the air operator certificates of four cargo airlines, suspended another one and banned one helicopter company from operating within the EU. Moldova has revoked the certificates of eight airlines registered in this country.

Mikhail KUKUSHKIN