Twenty-one airlines certified in Russia have been included on the EU Air Safety List — the EU’s list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the bloc.
1. Updating EU’s aviation ‘black list’
The European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List yesterday, claiming that recently added airlines are not meeting international safety standards. Following the recent update, a total of 117 airlines are banned from EU skies. From those, 90 airlines certified in 15 different countries due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities in these States.
Additionally, 21 airlines certified in Russia, as well as 6 individual airlines from other countries, based on safety concerns 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. Such is the case for Iran Air (Iran) and Air Koryo (North Korea).
2. Safety concerns
The EU’s move reflects serious safety concerns, the EU executive said, due to Russia’s forced re-registration of foreign-owned aircraft. The Commission accuses Moscow of knowingly allowing aircraft to operate without valid certificates of airworthiness, which is considered a breach of international aviation safety standards.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency has allowed Russian airlines to operate hundreds of foreign-owned aircraft without a valid Certificate of Airworthiness.
Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport
3. Chicago Convention
The Commissioner says the Russian airlines concerned have deliberately done so in breach of relevant international safety standards, representing not only a clear breach of the Convention on International Civil Aviation — the Chicago Convention — but also an immediate safety threat.
I want to make it crystal-clear that this decision is not another sanction against Russia; it has been taken solely on the basis of technical and safety grounds. We do not mix safety with politics.
Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport
In response to the international ban, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation has started producing a total of 20 medium-range narrowbody Tu-214 jets as part of efforts to maintain the country’s aviation at its current capacity despite Western sanctions.
4. The full list of banned airlines
• Aeroflot
• Aircompany Ikar
• Alrosa Air Company
• Aurora Airlines
• Aviastartu
• Iraero Airlines
• Izhavia
• Nordstar Airlines
• Nord Wind
• Pobeda Airlines
• Rossiya Airlines
• Rusjet
• Rusline
• Siberia Airlines
• Skol Airlines
• Smartavia Airlines
• Ural Airlines
• Utar Aviation
• UVT Aero
• Yakutia
• Yamal Airlines
