Brussels, 18/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc discussed the issue of air safety with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi during a visit to Tehran of a number of European commissioners on 16 and 17 April (see other article).
The two discussed the possible re-application by Iran of the European regulatory framework on air safety and the issue of the removal of Iranian airline Iran Air from the list of air carriers banned from landing in the EU.
The potential re-adoption by Iran of European air safety rules would amount to a “sort of copy-and-paste”, commented a source. It would relate, in particular, to Regulation 216/2008 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency, as well as Regulation 1108/209 amending Regulation 216/2008 in the area of aerodromes, the management of aerial work, and navigation service providers. According to the same source, the Commission and Tehran would thereafter look to bring Iranian air traffic rules into line with those planned for the EU “single sky”. “An agreement could put pressure on the member states currently blocking adopting”, the source said, referring to the dispute between Spain and the United Kingdom over the thorny issue of Gibraltar (see EUROPE 11448).
In May, experts from the Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will carry out a technical inspection of the Iran Air fleet. This airline has, since 2010, been on the list of air carriers banned from flying within the EU, apart from 12 aircraft, Commission transport spokesperson Jakub Adamowicz announced on Monday 18 April. With an average age of 2, the Iran Air fleet is ageing. “There have been five crashes in six years”, another source indicated.
At the end of January, the Iranian airline signed an agreement for the purchase of 118 Airbus aircraft, possibly making a difference. Removal from the list of banned airlines might be considered but there is little chance of it happening in the next update, scheduled for June. In any event, “the decision will be purely technical and in no way political”, according to the Commission.
The last update of the list dates from December of last year (see EUROPE 11450). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)