EU bans all Indonesian airlines

All Indonesian airlines will be banned from flying to the European Union within a week, the European Commission said today after…

All Indonesian airlines will be banned from flying to the European Union within a week, the European Commission said today after updating a "blacklist" of carriers deemed unsafe.

Indonesian carriers, including national carrier Garuda, do not fly to Europe, so the ban is also a warning to the 27-nation EU's consumers and travel agencies not to use the country's airlines, an EU official said.

The Indonesian carrier ban applies to all 51 airlines certified in that country.

"European citizens should avoid flying with these carriers," the official said. "They are really unsafe." Angola's TAAG Angolan Airlines and Volare Aviation Enterprise of Ukraine would also be banned, the EU executive said.

READ MORE

Ten Russian airlines, six from EU member Bulgaria and eight from Moldova will cease operations within the bloc.

A ban on most aircraft operated by Pakistan International Airlines, in force since March, will be lifted for specific Boeing 747 and Airbus 310 planes, it said. The carrier's fleet of Boeing 777s remains authorised.

The decision, following advice from an EU air safety committee, is expected to be formalised within a week. The commission advised EU countries to start preparing for the ban immediately