Airlines from at least 12 African states have been banned from the European Union Skies due to lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities in their states. The African states are among the list of 19 states from across the world with at least 214 certified airlines in their countries.
The twelve African countries include Benin, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon (with an exception of two airlines which operate under restrictions and conditions), Liberia, Libya, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Sudan
It is good news for Zambia though, as the EU lifted its aviation ban allowing all aircrafts registered to the country to enter its airspace after almost eight years. Air Madagascar was also granted permission to enter the European skies.
“I am happy to say that after seven years of work and extensive European technical assistance, we were able to clear all Zambian air carriers from the list,” The EU Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc said in a statement
EU Air Safety List aims to ensure the highest levels of air safety for the European citizens, a top priority of the Aviation Strategy adopted in December 2015.
This evaluation will assess the most efficient ways to further improve the protection of passengers against unsafe air carriers. One such way is to work with aviation authorities worldwide to raise global safety standards, according to the EU statement.
