EU blacklists 100 African airlines - by Paul Juma

The European Union has blacklisted more than 100 African airlines on safety grounds, sparking an outcry from African airlines.

Last Tuesday, the EU published a list of airlines from 17 countries that it banned from the European airspace due to safety concerns. While the EU completely banned some airlines, it also slapped operational conditions on others, affecting a total of 111 African airlines from 13 African countries.

Affected by the ban are airlines from Angola, Rwanda, Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equitorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia. However, according to EU, both the banned and restricted airlines could still be allowed to fully operate in the region by using leased aircrafts of an air carrier which has not been banned and complies with relevant safety standards.

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