EC blacklist plan tests spirit of co-operation between states

Compilation of EU-wide register of banned airlines sparks debate on Congolese carrier

Compilation of the first European Union-wide list of unsafe carriers tested the level of co-operation between the aviation authorities of the 25 member states, some of which jealously guarded their traditional autonomy.

The European Commission says the blacklist, published last week and comprising 93 airlines facing outright bans and three with operational restrictions, has been drawn up using EU member state contributions and “in-depth analysis with member state experts”.

Differences of opinion emerged over Hewa Bora, an operator from the Democratic Republic of Congo. While the UK Civil Aviation Authority had banned any Congolese carrier from flying to the UK due to fears that its aviation authority was inadequate, Hewa Bora continued to enter EU airspace on its sole European route to Belgian capital Brussels and then on to Paris.

A Belgian CAA official insists that, while it had found Hewa Bora “marginally acceptable” in safety terms, the UK CAA, on the basis of Belgium’s own data, moved to ban the operator from entering European airspace – potentially cutting the Congo’s remaining link to the former colonial power.

“The assumption that the EU blacklist was merely a ‘cut and paste’ job is certainly not true. That Hewa Bora bilateral operation was deemed by Belgium to be too valuable in terms of it representing an economic asset that we wanted to preserve. There was enormous pressure to avoid a country which had no first-hand experience of a particular carrier being able to dictate affairs,” says the CAA official.

Hewa Bora will only be permitted to use a specific Lockheed L-1011 TriStar for European operations. Other restrictions apply to Ariana Afghan Airlines, which can only operate a specific Airbus A310 within EU airspace, while Libya’s Buraq Air’s access to Euro­pean airports is limited. Air Mauritania can continue flying to Europe for a two-month evaluation period.

AIMEE TURNER / BRUSSELS

External link:
Read the full European Union list on air carriers banned or under operating restrictions including nationality.