EU bans airlines from two countries over safety concerns
June 5, 2025
Airlines based in Suriname and Tanzania have been added to the European Commission’s updated EU Air Safety List.
The ruling means all carriers registered in the two countries are now subject to an operating ban within the European Union.
The European Commission said the move was necessary since neither jurisdiction met international safety standards.
“Following today’s update, all air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania have been included on the list and can no longer operate in the EU,” the European Commission said.
The decision was taken last month following a meeting in Brussels chaired by the European Commission with support from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
With the addition of Suriname and Tanzania, 169 airlines are now banned from EU skies:
They include 142 airlines certified in 17 States due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities, and 22 airlines certified in Russia.
Five more airlines are banned based on “serious safety deficiencies”: Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Fly Baghdad (Iraq) and Iraqi Airways (Iraq).
Two further airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Iran Air (Iran) and Air Koryo (North Korea).
Surinam Airways is the primary airline and national flag carrier of Suriname., while Air Tanzania is the flag carrier of Tanzania. The latter was added to the EU safety list last year.
The ban means Surinam Airways has been forced to suspend services to and from Cayenne, the capital city of French Guiana, the South American nation which falls under the Eu safety list due to its position as an overseas region and department of France.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, said: “Passenger safety remains our top priority. Following a detailed technical assessment, the European Commission has added all air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List due to serious deficiencies in national aviation oversight.
“We urge both countries to address these issues promptly. The Commission stands ready to support their efforts toward full compliance with international safety standards.”
