On 14 June 2018 the European Commission cleared all air carriers certified in Indonesia from the EU Air Safety List, the list of non-European airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union because they do not meet international safety standards.

All airlines certified in Indonesia were put on the EU Air Safety List in 2007 due to unaddressed safety concerns on the aviation safety situation that was ascertained in the country. Over the past years, only 7 airlines were removed from the list.

The EU Air Safety List seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for European citizens, it helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU but it also helps countries themselves to improve their levels of safety in order to operate flights to and from airports in the European Union. In addition, the EU Air Safety List has also become a major preventive tool, as it motivates States with safety concerns to act upon them before any changes to the EU Air Safety List.

The update of the EU Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of the aviation safety experts from the Member States who met from 29 to 31 May within the EU Air Safety Committee (ASC), chaired by the European Commission with the support of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The assessment was made according to international safety standards, and notably the standards promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Following the update, the EU Air Safety List now includes 119 airlines, 114 of them are included in the list because they are certified in 15 States with a lack of safety oversight by the national aviation authorities, the remaining because of safety issues related to the airlines themselves (Iran Aseman Airlines, Iraqi Airways, Blue Wing Airlines, Med-View Airlines and Air Zimbabwe). An additional six airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires SN2AG (Gabon), Air Koryo (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran) and TAAG Angola Airlines (Angola).

Davide Scavuzzo