The European Commission has updated its EU Air Safety List, adding 21 airlines certified in Russia, including flag carrier Aeroflot. The list comprises airlines subject to operating bans and restrictions within the European Union as they fail to meet international safety standards.

The move reflects serious safety concerns raised over Russia’s reregistration of foreign-owned aircraft within the country and the continued operation without valid Certificates of Airworthiness, breaching international aviation safety standards.

Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, said,

“The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency has allowed Russian airlines to operate hundreds of foreign-owned aircraft without a valid Certificate of Airworthiness. The Russian airlines concerned have knowingly done so in breach of relevant international safety standards. This is not only a clear breach of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention), but it also poses an immediate safety threat.”

Aeroflot has been approached for comment.

Aeroflot jet parked at a gate
Sanctions have barred Russian airlines from EU airspace since late February; however, the Commission notes the decision is not "another sanction" and is based upon safety concerns. Photo: Sumit Rehal | Simple Flying

Additional information

The EU Air Safety List is a list comprised of airlines that do not meet international safety standards. The carriers named in the list are barred from operating to, in, and from the European Union, including overflight.

The Russian carriers added to the list are:

  • Aurora Airlines
  • Aviastar-TU
  • Izhavia
  • Yakutia Airlines
  • RusJet
  • UVT Aero
  • Siberia Airlines
  • Smartavia
  • IrAero
  • Ural Airlines
  • ALROSA
  • NordStar
  • RusLine
  • Yamal Airlines
  • Nordwind Airlines
  • Pegas Fly (Ikar Airlines)
  • Pobeda
  • Aeroflot
  • Rossiya
  • Skol Airlines
  • Utair

While Russia’s European operations have been barred since February due to airspace sanctions, the Air Safety List allows the addition of airlines that do not operate in the EU as so to warn travelers outside Europe of potential safety concerns.

The decision to add Russia was not a political one, with the Commission highlighting severe concerns over maintenance. Valean added,

“We are living in the context of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. However, I want to make it crystal-clear that this decision is not another sanction against Russia; it has been taken solely on the basis of technical and safety grounds. We do not mix safety with politics.”

Following the update, 117 airlines are banned from EU operations. The list includes 90 airlines certified in 15 different countries due to inadequate safety oversight by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority and six from other states based on severe safety deficiencies within the airlines.

Two other airlines, Iran Air and Air Koryo, are subject to restrictions but can operate within the EU using approved aircraft types.

Rising Sukhoi SSJ100 Superjet
Russia's limited international flights have been operated exclusively with Sukhoi Superjet 100s. Photo: SuperJet International

Update on Russian aviation

The addition of its airlines to the EU Air Safety List is likely the least of Russia’s concerns as carriers prepare to restart international air travel. Despite plans for a small-scale relaunch of flights late last week, Aeroflot has been operating limited flights to Baku, Azerbaijan using Russian-built narrowbody aircraft.

According to Aviation24, the short-haul international flights are to be operated with Rossiya’s Sukhoi Superjet 100s. The aircraft was likely chosen to avoid the potential seizure of leased Airbus and Boeing jets at international airports.

The Sukhoi Superjet is one of several Russian aircraft to have had its certification revoked by the EASA last month.

Russian carriers have been effectively grounded as export bans, and US legislation has prevented Russian-owned Boeing aircraft from being refueled and maintained at the cost of prison time and fines. Bombardier and Airbus have made similar announcements.

International travel will likely be held up by Russia’s exclusion from the Global Reservation System, preventing passengers from booking anywhere other than Aeroflot’s direct website.

Speaking to EuroWeekly at the time of Aeroflot suspending international flights, Rob Stallard, an analyst at Vertical Research Partners, noted,

“The Russian aviation sector is now on footing that is similar to North Korea and Iran — and similar to where it was under Soviet rule.”

What do you think of the European Commission’s decision to add the airlines to its Air Safety List? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Aviation24, EuroWeekly