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EU includes 21 Russian airline companies in aviation security blacklist

They are forbidden from flying to or through EU member states, although it has already been banned by Brussels’ anti-Russian sanctions

BRUSSELS, April 11. /TASS/. The European Commission included 21 Russian airline companies, including Aeroflot, Rossiya, Pobeda and UTair in its aviation security blacklist, the EC said in its statement Monday.

The companies in the blacklist are forbidden from flying to or through EU member states, although it has already been banned by Brussels’ anti-Russian sanctions imposed over the special military operation in Ukraine.

"The European Commission has updated the EU Air Safety List, which is the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, because they do not meet international safety standards. Following the update, 21 airlines certified in Russia are now included on the EU Air Safety List. This reflects serious safety concerns due to Russia's forced re-registration of foreign-owned aircraft, knowingly allowing their operation without valid certificates of airworthiness. This is in breach of international aviation safety standards," the European Commission said in its statement.

The blacklist includes all key Russian airline companies: Aeroflot, Rossiya, Pobeda, Utair, S7, Aurora, Nord Wind and others.

The European Commission document fails to mention that Russia made its decision after the EU banned selling or leasing western-made airplanes and spare parts to Russian companies. As a result, Russia not only made a decision to re-certify the existing plane fleet, but also launched a large-scale program of restoration of production of Russian passenger planes, including MS-21, SSJ-New, Tu-204, Tu-214, Tu-334, Il-96, Il-114 and others.

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