EU bans Tanzanian-certified aircraft from its airspace over safety concerns

The European Commission has updated its Air Safety List to include all air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania, effectively banning them from EU airspace due to their failure to meet international aviation safety standards.

In a statement, the commission said that following the update, the affected airlines are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union and can no longer operate in the EU.

"This decision is based on serious safety concerns identified during assessments conducted by European Union aviation safety experts."

The commission updates its air safety list to ensure 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.

"For Suriname and Tanzania, the identified safety shortcomings cover both operational and regulatory areas. These include a shortage of qualified personnel, ineffective oversight processes in flight operations and airworthiness, and non-compliance with international safety standards by both countries' civil aviation authorities and certified air carriers," the statement said.

EU Air Safety Committee

The update follows the unanimous opinion of member state aviation safety experts, who met in Brussels from May 13 to May 15 2025, under the auspices of the EU Air Safety Committee.

The Committee is chaired by the European Commission with support from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (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 Organisation (ICAO).

A total of 169 airlines are banned from EU skies.

They include; 142 airlines certified in 17 States (Afghanistan, Angola (except 2 airlines), Armenia, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Suriname, and Tanzania), due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states.

Serious safety deficiencies

Others are 22 airlines certified in Russia, as well as five individual airlines from other States, based on serious safety deficiencies identified earlier.

They are: Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Fly Baghdad (Iraq) and Iraqi Airways (Iraq).

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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 (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said: "Passenger safety remains our top priority. Following a detailed technical assessment, the European Commission has added all air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List due to serious deficiencies in national aviation oversight. We urge both countries to address these issues promptly. The Commission stands ready to support their efforts toward full compliance with international safety standards."