EU places 92 foreign air carriers on blacklist

International Herald Tribune:

"EU places 92 foreign air carriers on blacklist
By Dan Bilefsky International Herald Tribune

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2006
BRUSSELS The European Union banned from its skies 92 foreign airlines based in countries including Afghanistan, Thailand and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as part of a blacklist aimed at strengthening air security and reassuring travelers after a series of recent crashes.

The ban by the EU's executive, which applies across the 25-member bloc, covers passenger and cargo operators including Phuket Airlines of Thailand, Ariana Afghan Airlines, Airlink Swaziland and North Korea's Air Koryo. Popular airlines used for vacations by Europeans are noticeably absent from the list and the EU could not specify how many of the banned airlines had flown in European skies or used European airports. But some such as Ariana Afghan Airlines operate routes from Europe."