BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / EuroWire / – The European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List, removing all air carriers certified in Kyrgyzstan and adding Air Express Algeria to the group of airlines barred from operating in the European Union. The 48th update to the list changes access to EU skies for carriers that regulators reviewed under international aviation safety standards.
The EU Air Safety List covers airlines that face full operating bans or operating limits within the European Union because they do not meet required safety standards. The list first appeared in 2006. It also gives passengers information on carriers that may raise safety concerns, including airlines that do not fly to Europe.
Kyrgyzstan’s carriers left the list after progress in national aviation safety oversight over the past 20 years. The change ends a long-standing restriction on airlines certified in the Central Asian country. EU aviation safety experts reviewed the country’s oversight system before the update, including the certification and supervision of carriers under its aviation authority.
Kyrgyzstan carriers removed
Air Express Algeria now faces an EU operating ban after safety experts found serious concerns during assessments of its compliance with international standards. The finding means the Algerian carrier can no longer operate in the European Union. The update lists the carrier among individual airlines barred because of safety deficiencies.
The list now bars 154 airlines from EU skies. That total includes 126 airlines certified in 16 states where regulators identified inadequate aviation safety oversight. It also includes 22 airlines certified in Russia and six individual carriers from other states. The six carriers are Air Express Algeria, Air Zimbabwe, Avior Airlines, Iran Aseman Airlines, Fly Baghdad and Iraqi Airways.
Passenger safety list updated
Two additional airlines remain under operating restrictions rather than full bans. Iran Air and Air Koryo may fly to the European Union only with specific aircraft types. The distinction separates carriers under full prohibition from those allowed to operate limited services under defined conditions in EU airspace.
The update followed the unanimous view of member state aviation safety experts who met in Brussels from May 19 to May 21, 2026, under the EU Air Safety Committee. The committee works with support from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Decisions under the list rely on international safety standards, including standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.