ASTANA (TCA) — On December 8, the European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that do not meet international safety standards, and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union. All air carriers from Kazakhstan were removed from the list, the Delegation of the European Union to Kazakhstan said.
All airlines certified in Kazakhstan have been cleared from the list, following further improvements to the aviation safety situation in the country.
“The EU Air Safety list is one of our main instruments to continuously offer the highest level of air safety to Europeans. I am particularly glad that after years of work and European technical assistance, we are today able to clear all Kazakh air carriers,” said EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc. “This also is a positive signal for all the countries that remain on the list. It shows that work and cooperation pay off. The Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency are ready to assist.”
Following yesterday’s update, a total of 193 airlines are banned from EU skies.
It is worth noting that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) removed Kazakhstan’s national carrier, Air Astana, from the European Union (EU) Air Safety List in December 2015, while other Kazakh carriers remained on the list.
Air Astana had faced restrictions on flying into the EU since 2009.
