Travelling by air? Check online if your carrier is safe

11 Apr 2014 02:46 PM

The European Commission is launching an online tool to search the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, better known as "the EU Air Safety List". With the new tool, finding information is easier, faster and more effective. Type in a country, an airline name, or an ICAO airline code and you will know whether or not an airline is on the EU Air Safety List. Previously, even though the Commission's EU Air Safety List website is one of the most visited websites in the transport policy area, users had to study the complete list of airlines in order to find the information they needed on one particular airline.

Effective aviation safety standards in Europe have made the Union the safest region to fly in the world, on par with the United States. Whilst the European Union and its Member States are working with safety authorities in other countries to raise safety standards across the world, there are still some airlines operating in conditions below international safety levels. To improve safety in Europe further, the European Commission – in consultation with Member States’ aviation safety authorities – is tasked with banning airlines found to be unsafe from operating in European airspace.

The EU Air Safety List provides information regarding the airlines that are banned from operating in EU skies because they do not respect international safety standards. However, users are invited to read an information notice before using the tool. This clarifies the scope of this search tool and of the EU Air Safety List in general. Indeed, despite the efforts made to verify the exact identity of all airlines in the EU Safety List, a complete verification is not always possible. Furthermore, and evidently, the Commission does not necessarily know the details of each airline in the world.

The English version is being launched. Other versions, one for each official language of the EU, will be launched soon.

The tool is to be found at the usual address for the banned list of airlines on DG MOVE web site: http://air-ban.europa.eu

The EU Air Safety List is established by the European Commission, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and the Council of 14 December 2005 on the establishment of a Community list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the Community and on informing air transport passengers of the identity of the operating air carrier and on the basis of the advice of the EU Air Safety Committee.

IP/14/415

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