Armenian Civil Aviation Will Remain on EU 'Black List'

The European Commission is dissatisfied with the reforms in Armenia's civil aviation that would have allowed it to exit the European Union's 'black list,' reports Hetq.

It should be reminded that all airlines registered in Armenia have been on the EU 'black list' since June 2020, meaning they are not permitted to enter EU airspace for commercial purposes. The reason for this was deficiencies discovered during inspections by the European side at the Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia and several Armenian airlines, related to flight safety. In other words, the inadequate mechanisms for ensuring flight safety of airlines registered in Armenia and their supervision by the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee prompted the EU to temporarily prohibit the entry of Armenian air carriers, as they are regarded as not complying with European flight safety standards.

Armenia is included in Annex 'A,' meaning the entry of all Armenian carriers into EU airspace is prohibited. The 'black list' is regularly updated by the European Commission, based on the opinions of experts from the EU Air Safety Committee (ASC). This committee is headed by the European Commission, which is supported by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The last update of the list was on November 23, and all operators of aircraft registered in Armenia—eight airlines—are included on that list. From September 27-30, representatives of the European Commission and EASA visited the Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia. The guests assessed the progress made by the Committee in addressing previously identified deficiencies.

The European side paid particular attention to the steps already taken and planned by the Committee regarding effective oversight of Armenian air carriers. According to the European Commission, among the Committee's obligations are the implementation of a State Safety Program, a Reporting System for Aviation Accidents, and the management system for the certification process of operators.

Perhaps the most critical emphasis is that, according to the European Commission, during the evaluation visit to Armenia in 2020, the Civil Aviation Committee has achieved only 'limited progress' in addressing the deficiencies raised. In other words, the European side is not fully satisfied with the achievements of the Armenian aviation authorities.

This is evidenced by the notion that despite a plan of action being developed and implemented, it needs to be reopened, reviewed, and additional actions incorporated to align it with its significance. This will be a key activity in the technical assistance provided to Armenia by EASA.

Simply put, this is not good news for us and indicates that the Armenian civil aviation authorities still have significant efforts to make in order to exit the EU 'black list.'

For more details, refer to Hetq.