After 11 years, the European Union (EU) has lifted a Euro airspace travel ban placed on flights from Gabon.
The EU Commission said it had “withdrawn them (Gabon) from the list following improvements in aviation safety in that country.”
Following the announcement by the EU lifting the ban on Gabon this week, airlines as the National Regional Transport (NRT), Solenta Aviation Gabon, Tropical Air Gabon and Afrijet Business Service can now commence flights to Europe.
EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: “I am pleased to announce that the European Commission was able today to clear all Gabonese air carriers from the EU Air Safety List.
“Gabon was on the List already since 2008, so it is very good that we can recognise the efforts the aviation safety authorities in Gabon have made.”
Gabon was not the only country in the Euro space blacklist but will breathe a sigh of relief after its removal from the list. Carriers based in Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Liberia, Libya, São Tomé and Príncipe and Sierra Leone remains blacklisted.
In the case of Angola all carriers (with the exception of TAAG Angola Airlines and Heli Malongo) remain banned, “due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities of these States,” the EU Commission confirmed.
The EU Air Safety List compiles airlines that do not meet international safety standards and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.
By so doing, it seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for Europeans and all other passengers travelling in the European Union.
About Gabon
Gabon, a country along the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, has significant areas of protected parkland. The forested coastal terrain of its famed Loango National Park shelters a diversity of wildlife, from gorillas and hippos to whales. Lopé National Park consists of mostly rainforest. Akanda National Park is known for its mangroves and tidal beaches. (Wikipedia)
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