DALLAS — The European Commission has included all Suriname and Tanzanian air carriers that are certified in those countries on the EU Air Safety List, which excludes them from flying to the European Union.

This move follows a thorough safety audit conducted by EU aviation safety specialists and endorsed by the unanimous opinion of the EU Air Safety Committee.

Air Tanzania (TC) is the flag carrier airline of Tanzania. IT is based in Dar es Salaam, with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR).

Air Zimbabwe (UM) is the flag carrier of Zimbabwe, headquartered at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE), in Harare. MU used to operate a network within southern Africa that also included Asia and London-Gatwick.

Regulatory Oversight Cited as Core Issue

The authorities revealed critical inadequacies in the civil aviation regulation abilities of these two countries. They encompass inadequacy of skilled staff, poor enforcement of international safety standards, and poor regulatory supervision. All these deficiencies impact both operational safety and airworthiness surveillance of carriers certified within these states.

The move is not merely an indicator of airline performance but also the failure of the respective civil aviation authorities to provide adequate conformity with global aviation standards.

Safety Above All Else‍

According to Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, "passenger safety remains our top priority." He underlined that the action is based on international standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and technical evaluations.

The Commission has made it clear that it is prepared to assist Tanzania and Suriname in addressing the shortcomings that have been identified.

Following this update, there are currently 169 airlines in the EU that have been banned. This comprises five separate airlines from countries like Zimbabwe (UM), Venezuela (9V), and Iraq (IF, IA), as well as 142 carriers from 17 countries and 22 from Russia. There are still operational limitations on two others, Iran Air (IR) and Air Koryo (JS). 

The EU's move demonstrates its commitment to upholding stringent aviation safety standards for travelers worldwide