EU Blacklist – Beware of these Airlines!

Hello fellow aviators. In my last post, I have explained the instrument landing system to you. Today, I would like to tell you a bit more about the so-called EU blacklist of unsafe airlines. My good friend Manuel Rauch treated himself with a nice vacation down in the Philippines the other day. The lovely Dornier 328 you can see in the picture below, is slowly but steadily taxiing for its take-off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. This is the airport of Manila, the Philippine’s capital city. In the background, you can see more flying aluminium cans. Among them a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER. By the way! Cathay Pacific has been awarded as the world’s safest airline, several times (in 2018, the safest airline award went to Emirates)!

The Blacklist of Unsafe Airlines!

This article, however, shall not deal with safe airlines. The carriers of interest today are dangerous ones! Today’s topic is the so-called “list of carriers which are banned from operating within the European Union”. Phew! Another word, which has prevailed among the more common and non-EU-official-bereaucracy-speakers is a term, that some of you may already know. The blacklist of the EU!

If an airline has the “honour” of landing on this list, it is classified as an unsafe airline by the Union. It has then neither the permission to land on European territory nor to enter European airspace. Hence, blacklist makes sure that the high safety standards for flying within the European Union are maintained. Airlines, that do not meet the high requirements, lose their permit.

The EU Safety List (i.e. “Community list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Community”) is a list of airlines which the European Commission, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament (…) and on the basis of the advice of the EU Air Safety Committee, decided to subject to either a complete or a partial operating ban within the European Union, for failure to adhere to the applicable international safety standards.

The European Commision on its website

Air Asia’s Philippine daughter company, Air Asia Zest, was, for many years, an example of a “blacklisted” carrier. As of 2017, it could, theoretically, enter EU airspace, again, since it is not on the list anymore. However, this is not that relevant, since the airline operates inner-Asian short haul flights only. One can, however, use the blacklist as a reference for safe and unsafe airlines for tourists that travel outside of the EU!

More Carriers on the Blacklist

As you know, even a small amount of carelessness can cause horrific accidents in the aviation industry. There are (if any) few industries where the strict comliance to safety standards and regulations is as vital as in the aviation sector. That is why one should always try to avoid airlines on the blacklist. Of course, this is not always possible. For instance, as of 2017, all carriers form Afghanistan stand on the blacklist.

If you happen to fly within countries outside the EU or the USA, I highly recommend you to check the blacklist prior to your booking. The European Commission updates this list regularly. Here is a small excerpt of carriers with a European overflying ban:

• All airlines of Afghanistan
• Any airline from Angola, Benin, Eritrea, Liberia, Libyen, Mosambik, Sierra Leone, dem Sudan, Sambia und der Republik Kongo
• All carriers from Equatorial Guinea
• All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Indonesia, with the exception of Garuda Indonesia, Airfast Indonesia, Ekspres Transportasi Antarbenua, Indonesia Air Asia, Citilink, Lion Air and Batik Air
• Any airline from the Kyrgyz Republic

You can find the complete blacklist here. Apart from the carriers banned in the EU, the list also includes an Annex B. It lists airlines with a permission to enter European airspace under certain restrictions. For example, some carriers must only fly to the EU with a certain aircraft type.

More aviation knowledge!

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Stay safe!

Aaron