European Union Bans Air Tanzania Over Safety Concerns

On December 13, 2024, the European Commission added Air Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List, banning the airline from operating within European Union airspace.

This decision follows safety concerns raised by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also denied Air Tanzania a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization.

The EU Air Safety List includes airlines that fail to meet international safety standards. Air Tanzania’s inclusion follows EASA’s evaluation, which identified significant safety deficiencies. Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, responsible for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, emphasized the EU’s commitment to passenger safety globally and urged Air Tanzania to address the identified issues.

Commissioner Tzitzikostas stated: “The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide. We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”

Air Tanzania joins several African airlines banned from EU airspace. These include airlines from Angola, such as Aerojet, Guicango, Air Jet, Bestflya Aircraft Management, Helilang, and Sonair. Airlines from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also face a blanket ban, including Congo Airways and Busy Bee Congo. Sudanese carriers, such as Sudan Airways, Tarco Air, and Badr Airlines, are also on the list. Kenyan airlines Silverstone Air Services and Skyward Express are among the individual carriers banned due to safety concerns.

Air Tanzania, known as “The Wings of Kilimanjaro,” is the national carrier of Tanzania and a cornerstone of the country’s aviation sector. Despite acquiring modern aircraft like Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A220s, operational and safety concerns have persisted, according to the EU Air Safety List.

The List is based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and serves to ensure passenger safety by barring non-compliant airlines from EU airspace. As of this update, 129 airlines are on the list, either due to regulatory oversight issues in their countries or specific operational deficiencies.