Air Tanzania banned from EU skies over undisclosed ‘safety concerns’..

The European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, because they do not meet international safety standards. Ensuring the highest level of air safety for Europeans and all other travelling passengers is at the very heart of the Commission’s aviation safety policy.

Following today’s update, Air Tanzania has been included on the List. The basis for this decision is safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). These also led to the decision not to grant Air Tanzania a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization.

Commissioner Tzitzikostas also welcomed EASA’s positive decision on 29 November 2024 to lift the Third Country Operator (TCO) suspensions imposed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended in 2020, PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) have made substantial progress in improving safety performance and oversight capabilities. PIA is now allowed to resume operations to the EU. Furthermore, Airblue Limited, another Pakistani airline has also received EASA’s TCO Authorisation.

Following today’s update, a total of 129 airlines are banned from EU skies:

• 100 airlines certified in 15 States, due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these States;
• 22 airlines certified in Russia, as well as 7 individual airlines from other States, based on serious safety deficiencies identified: Air Tanzania (Tanzania), Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Fly Baghdad (Iraq) and Iraqi Airways (Iraq).

Two additional airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Iran Air (Iran) and Air Koryo (North Korea).

Background

Today’s update to the EU Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of Member State aviation safety experts, who met in Brussels on 19 to 21 November 2024 under the auspices of the EU Air Safety Committee. This Committee is chaired by the European Commission with support from EASA. The European Parliament’s Transport Committee also supports the update. Decisions under the EU Air Safety List are based on international safety standards, and notably the standards decreed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).