Two Ghanaian airlines are facing operating restrictions in the European Union following a revision to the European Commission's carrier 'blacklist' today.

Meridian Airways, a cargo carrier, has been completely banned following "serious and persistent" safety concerns, says a spokeswoman for the Commission.

The carrier uses McDonnell Douglas DC-8 freighters and had been operating in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

Fleet restrictions are also being placed on another Ghanaian carrier, AirLift International. AirLift also operates DC-8 freighters.

Concerns from authorities in the UK over this operator triggered an EU-wide response, says the spokeswoman, who states that this "underlines the vigilance" being shown by the Commission regarding air safety.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news