The European Union has updated its Air Safety List, removing all carriers from Benin and Mozambique from operational restrictions. Four individual airlines were added – Med-View Airline (Kano), Mustique Airways (MAW, St. Vincent Argyle International), Air Urga (3N, Kirovohrad) and Air Zimbabwe (UM, Harare International).
The removal of Benin and Mozambique from the blacklist are a result of the improvement of aviation safety regulations in the two African nations, an EU statement says.
"I am glad that we are able to take all carriers from Benin and Mozambique out of the air safety list. Their reforms have paid off," said Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc. "This is also a signal to the 16 countries that remain on the list. It shows that work and cooperation pays off. The Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency are ready to assist them and raise the safety standards worldwide."
The addition of four new airlines to the list were due to ongoing safety deficiencies noted by the European Aviation Safety Agency. They join other restricted individual carriers Iran Aseman Airlines (EP, Tehran Mehrabad), Iraqi Airways (IA, Baghdad) and Blue Wing Airlines (BWI, Paramaribo Zorg en Hoop).
The updated list restricts carriers from the following countries, with some exceptions: Afghanistan, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Indonesia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
