Brussels, 06/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 July, further to measures taken by France, the European Commission published the 14th update of the blacklist of airlines that are prohibited from operating in EU airspace, including the Blue Wing Airlines company from Suriname. As adopted, the list also steps up restrictions imposed on the Iranian air carrier, Iran Air (forbidding its fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 727 and 747 planes from flying in European air space), and does away with restrictions on two Indonesian air carriers, Metro Batavia and Indonesia Air Asia. Also, the Commission has eased restrictions imposed on the Gabonese airline, Afrijet, which may now add a new aircraft to its fleet authorised to operate in EU airspace.
At present, the blacklist includes four carriers totally banned from operating in the European Union: Ariana Afghan Airlines (Afghanistan), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Siem Reap Airways International (Cambodia) and Silverback Cargo Freighters (Rwanda). A ban has been imposed on carriers from 17 countries (278 companies in total): Angola, Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon (except for four Falcon 90 and Falcon 900 aircraft which have restrictions imposed on them), Indonesia (except for six carriers for which operating restrictions have been fully lifted), Kazakhstan (except for the carrier, Air Astana, which is subject to operating restrictions and conditions), the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, São Tomé e Principe, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia. Nine air carriers are subject to operating restrictions and conditions: Air Koryo (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), TAAG Angola Airlines, Air Astana (Kazakhstan), Iran Air, Gabon Airlines, Afrijet and SN2AG (Gabon), Air Service Comores and Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines (Ukraine). The Commission has also sent a warning to the Albanian civil aviation authorities by inviting it to step up surveillance with regard to the security of all carriers registered in Albania and to continue with setting up the action plan approved with the European Air Safety Authority (EASA). At Community level, the United Kingdom has banned operations for two British carriers (TransEurope Air Limited and MK Airlines), the Spanish authorities have suspended the operating certificate and licence for the carrier, Baleares Link Express, and the Slovakian authorities have withdrawn the operating licence of Seagel Air and Air Slovakia. (A.By./transl.jl)