Blacklist of unsafe airlines goes Europe-wide

14 November 2005

BRUSSELS — The renowned blacklist of banned airlines launched by Belgium and France in the summer will in future be applied Europe-wide and become public knowledge.

It means an airline banned in one European Union member state will no longer be welcome in the airspace of another, newspaper ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ reported on Monday.

“All doors for unsafe planes are now closed,” Belgian Transport Minister Renaat Landuyt said.

Unveiling ‘his’ blacklist in August, the Socialist SP.A minister said in future he hoped that an airline banned from one country due to serious safety breaches would be added to a public European blacklist.

Only then would the safety of every passenger be guaranteed, he said.

Rising to the challenge, the European Parliament is expected to approve legislation quicker than expected this week.

The new regulation will ensure a fast and automatic expansion of an airline ban in one country to every EU member state.

“The European blacklist is a reality. The accidents from this summer have made the spirit ripe for more co-ordinated European action,” Landuyt said.

He said in future, situations such as Onur Air being banned from landing in the Netherlands, but still being able to fly into Belgium, will not be repeated.

“Unsafe airlines will not be welcome anywhere,” he stressed.

The Belgian minister also said the European black list will be distributed to travel agents so that passengers can always obtain information over the airline that will be carrying out their flight.

“Europe will become a vigilant flight zone and Belgium has certainly played a pioneering role in that,” Landuyt said.

Subject: Belgian news