Libyan airlines added to flight ban list

All airlines from Libya have been added to the list of 310 airlines banned from flying into the EU for safety reasons.

The ongoing civil war in the north African country has been blamed for the ban, with transport commissioner Violeta Bulc saying their civil aviation authority can no longer guarantee safety.

All airlines in 21 countries — many of them African — have been banned, while 10 others are allowed to fly into the EU but subject to certain conditions, such as the kind of plane they use.

Some countries’ airlines are improving and may be taken off the ban list, she said. But the safety of the 800m passengers using 450 European airports is the priority. The industry supports 5.1m jobs in the EU and generates €1bn daily.