European Commission removes all airlines from Indonesia from EU Air Safety List

The European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that do not meet international safety standards and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, last week.

At them same time, it announced a new system warning the air traffic controllers of all Member States has been deployed to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace.

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said: “The EU Air Safety List is one of our main instruments to continuously offer the highest level of air safety to Europeans. I am particularly glad that after years of work, we are today able to clear all air carriers from Indonesia.

“It shows that hard work and close cooperation pay off. I am also satisfied that we now have a new warning system to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace.”

All Indonesian carriers were put on the EU Air Safety List in 2007 due to unaddressed safety concerns. Over the past years, a small number (7 in total) were removed, but the bulk of Indonesian carriers remained on the list until last week.

The EU Air Safety List not only helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU, but it also helps affected countries to improve their levels of safety, in order for them to eventually be taken off. 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 119 airlines are banned from EU skies:

• 114 airlines certified in 15 states, due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states;
• Five individual airlines, based on safety concerns with regard to these airlines themselves: Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Iraqi Airways (Iraq), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Med-View Airlines (Nigeria) and Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).
• An additional six airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires SN2AG (Gabon), Air Koryo (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran) and TAAG Angola Airlines (Angola).