Blacklist Possible Based On Safety Concerns

The Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus may be the first European country to lose the right to fly aircraft to the rest of Europe.

Last August, a Helios Airlines 737 went down in Greece with the loss of 114 passengers and crew due to a loss of cabin pressure.

Despite the name change of "Helios" to "A-Jet", the airline company, along with all of civil aviation from the Republic of Cyprus, faces the possibility of being blacklisted by the European Union because of unresolved safety concerns.

ANN reported several months ago the Cypriot aviation infrastructure is woefully understaffed with virtually no systems in place to regulate air safety.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is now meeting in Poland and they are seriously considering the ban because nearly two thirds of their recommendations have not been implemented.

Last July, the European Commission sent a letter to Cyprus aviation authorities, asking that the shortcomings with air safety be urgently addressed. The Cypriot officials responded three weeks later, but their arguments were not considered satisfactory to the EASA.

The EASA blacklist currently includes some 90 airlines from African countries, such as the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and others such as Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan and Afghanistan.

Cyprus has contracted with a US aviation consultancy firm to diagnose the island's civil aviation industry, but it remains to be seen if reforms and increased staffing can be accomplished in time.

In an ironic twist, the Republic of Cyprus will host the 56th Conference of the European Civil Aviation Committee -- taking place next year. The EASA is scheduled to attend.

FMI: European Aviation Safety Agency