The European Commission has added Air Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List which means the airline is in the list of operators banned from flying to and from the European Union, as the carrier failed to meet EU aviation safety requirements:.
"The European Commission today updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, because they do not meet international safety standards."
"Ensuring 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."
In the latest update of blacklisting of the third-country carriers, the European Commission has now removed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Airblue Limited, both carriers from Pakistan.
EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, because they do not meet international safety standards. Ensuring 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.
As mentioned above, the European Commission has barred Air Tanzania from flying to or within the European Union because of poor safety procedures identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the EU agency responsible for ensuring safety in the domain of air transportation in Europe. European Commission statement read as,
"Following today's update, Air Tanzania has been included on the List. The basis for this decision is safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). These also led to the decision not to grant Air Tanzania a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation."
The update was announced by the EU’s Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, with the explanation that the inclusion of the airline in the EU Air Safety List led to the decision not to grant it a Third Country Operator (TCO) licence, a safety authorisation issued by EASA following a technical assessment for commercial traffic rights within the European Union.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide. We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards,” Commissioner Tzitzikostas was quoted as saying.
Following this updation, Air Tanzania was added to the list of a total of 129 airlines that are banned from EU skies: 100 airlines certified in 15 states due to inadequate safety oversight by their respective local aviation authorities, and 22 carriers certified in Russia, as well as seven individual airlines from other countries, based on serious safety deficiencies below the required international standards.
European Commission Statement: Following today's update, a total of 129 airlines are banned from EU skies:
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 (North Korea).
The Tanzanian authorities had already issued their response on the matter. Gerson Msigwa, the Government Chief Spokesperson, said the government is currently in discussions with European Union aviation authorities to lift the suspension imposed on the country’s national airline.
“EU aviation experts are expected to visit Tanzania soon to complete the vetting process. This inspection will be a crucial step toward granting Air Tanzania the licence to operate in EU airspace,” he said.
Msigwa clarified that Air Tanzania does not operate any routes to EU destinations. However, efforts are underway to obtain the necessary licensing / TCO authorisation for the national carrier to enter EU airspace, aligning with the bloc’s stringent aviation rules and regulations.
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