The list of airlines banned in the European Union has beeen modified by the European Comission to include one carrier from Surinam and to expand the operating restrictions on Iran Air. Besides, two carriers from Indonesia have been removed from the list of banned airlines.

With this update, the carrier Blue Wing Airlines from Surinam is included in the list of banned airlines following measures taken by a Member State as a consequence of a series of accidents suffered by this airline and serious deficiencies revealed during ramp inspections of its aircraft.

Based on the results of the visit to Iran, led by the Commission with the participation of experts from Member States and EASA the expansion of the operating restrictions imposed on Iran Air has been supported.

With this update the Commission has also recognised the improvements in the oversight exercised by the competent authorities of Indonesia. These improvements allowed the Air Safety Committee to support the removal from the list of two Indonesian air carriers.Besides, it has decided to allow air carrier Afrijet to add another aircraft to its fleet used for such services.

In the framework of this update, the civil aviation authority of Albania is urged to intensify its oversight in relation to all carriers and continue to implement the action plan agreed with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Today, the Community list has four carriers whose operations are fully banned in the European Union:

• Ariana Afghan Airlines from Afghanistan
• Blue Wing Airlines from Surinam
• Siem reap Airways International from Cambodia
• Silverback Cargo Freighters from Rwanda

All carriers from 17 countries – 278 companies in total – are banned: Angola, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon (with the exception of three carriers which operate under restrictions and conditions), Indonesia (with the exception of six carriers from which the restrictions have been fully removed), Kazakhstan (with the exception of one carrier which operates under restrictions and conditions), the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia.