Kyrgyzstan Signals Possible End to EU Aviation Ban
Kyrgyzstan says it is close to ending a near two-decade ban that has kept its airlines off European routes, after President Sadyr Japarov said the country has reached a “critical point” in efforts to leave the European Union’s air safety blacklist. The comments come as Kyrgyz officials push for international recognition of reforms in aviation oversight and airport infrastructure. Japarov said Kyrgyzstan has been developing civil aviation “on its own initiative,” investing “billions of soms,” buying aircraft for domestic and international routes, and building new airports. He described the effort as a state priority and added: “Kyrgyzstan has reached a critical point in its exit from the European Union’s ‘blacklist’… with God’s help, the skies of Europe will open to Kyrgyzstan.” The EU Air Safety List is the bloc’s mechanism for restricting airlines that, in the EU’s assessment, do not meet international safety standards. Airlines on the list are banned from operating “to, in and from the EU,” and the EU can also apply restrictions to all carriers certified in a country if national oversight is deemed inadequate, according to the European Commission’s official Q&A on the EU Air Safety List. Updates are prepared with support from the EU Air Safety Committee and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and are based on standards set through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Commission says. Kyrgyz airlines have been on the EU list since 2006. The EU’s most recent comprehensive update, published on December 8, 2025, still includes Kyrgyzstan among the countries whose airlines are banned because of “a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities,” according to the Commission’s December 2025 materials and the linked EU Air Safety List documentation. Kyrgyz airlines would be allowed to apply for operations linked to the European Union if the country is removed from the EU Air Safety List. Any carrier seeking to fly to, from, or within the EU needs to meet European safety requirements, including obtaining Third Country Operator authorization from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, according to the European Commission’s air safety rules. Kyrgyzstan’s public messaging has framed the potential removal as an economic lever, with Japarov stating it would support tourism, attract investment, and improve the country’s international image. It could also lead to more direct scheduled flights between Kyrgyzstan and EU destinations, rather than relying on connections via third countries. The EU has not announced a decision to remove Kyrgyzstan, and any change would require a formal update to the list after technical review. Past EU updates show that changes can cut both ways. In June 2025, for example, the Commission added all carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania after identifying serious shortcomings in national oversight, in an official announcement on its Mobility and Transport site. For now, Japarov’s statement signals confidence that Kyrgyzstan believes it has supplied the documentation and reforms the EU expects. Whether that will translate into removal will depend on the EU’s technical findings and the next formal update cycle of...
