ZAMBIAN AIRLINES ALL OFF THE EU AVIATION BLACKLIST
(Posted 19th June 2018)
As suggested on stage at the recently concluded #AviaDev2018 conference in Cape Town have African IATA member airlines made significant strides in moving towards a safer sky environment, largely spurred by the ongoing regime of audits initially for IOSA and now e-IOSA, standing for enhanced IATA Operational Safety Audit.
These measures, alongside ICAO support for national aviation regulatory bodies vis a vis training, have resulted in 2017 being the safest year in jet aviation in Africa ever.
Notably therefore has the EU reacted now and removed Zambia as a country from their notorious – but necessary – black list, giving Zambian airlines, upon application, access to fly across or into the European territory.
Also cleared was Air Madagascar, in which French registered and Reunion based Air Austral now has a 49 percent stake and management contract, again underscoring what can be achieved when all available tools for aviation safety are being used.
The EU Commissioner for Transport, Ms. Violeta Bulc, was quoted to have said: ‘Aviation safety is my top priority and today’s update illustrates our continuous efforts to offer the highest level of air safety to European citizens. I am happy to say that after seven years of work and extensive European technical assistance, we were able to clear all Zambian air carriers from the list‘.
African airlines still subject to restrictions under the EU blacklist are TAAG from Angola, Afrijet based in Libreville and Nouvelle Air also based in Libreville / Gabon.
