On 5 June 2025, the European Commission announced an update to the EU Air Safety List, which bans airlines that fail to meet international safety standards from operating within the European Union. As part of this update, all air carriers certified in Tanzania and Suriname have been added to the list.

This decision follows a thorough safety assessment conducted by EU aviation experts, who found serious deficiencies in both countries' aviation oversight systems. These included a lack of qualified personnel, ineffective regulatory supervision, and non-compliance with international safety standards. The assessments revealed that the civil aviation authorities in both countries are currently unable to ensure the safe operation of their airlines.

The update was based on the unanimous opinion of aviation safety experts from EU Member States, who met in Brussels from 13 to 15 May 2025. The process was led by the European Commission, with support from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Parliament's Transport Committee.

As a result of this update, 169 airlines are now banned from EU airspace, including those from 17 countries with systemic safety oversight issues, as well as several individual airlines from other nations.

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, emphasized that passenger safety is the EU’s top priority and encouraged Tanzania and Suriname to take swift action to address the identified shortcomings. The Commission has also expressed its willingness to support both countries in improving their aviation safety standards.

#Mobility