EU green-lights North Korean carrier, bans airlines from Philippines

(AFP PHOTO/ROMEO GACAD)

Aircraft from North Korean flag-carrier Air Koryo are officially allowed to operate in European airspace again from April 1, following the updating of the European Commission's airline blacklist.

Air Koryo, which lists Prague and Zurich as destinations on its website, may now resume scheduled flights from North Korea to Europe, paving the way for regular passenger flights to the isolated Communist state. Air Koyro has been banned from European airspace since March 2006.

TAAG Angola airlines said that it was reviewing its timetables after being taken off the no-fly list under strict conditions. Other Angolan carriers remain banned.

Filipino aviation officials criticized the European Commission's decision to ban all flights by airlines registered in the Philippines, a ban that affects some 47 named carriers. Amongst them is national carrier Philippine Airlines, which operates 33 regular flights to five US cities.

The list includes airlines from 17 countries (278 companies) in total that are prohibited from flying into Europe, based on inspections and concerns raised by the civil aviation authorities of the 27 European Union member states.

Europe's no-fly blacklist:

Angola
Benin
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon (with the exception of three carriers which operate under restrictions and conditions)
Indonesia
Kazakhstan (with the exception of one carrier which operates under restrictions and conditions)
Kyrgyz Republic
Liberia
Philippines
Republic of Congo
Sierra Leone
Sao Tome and Principe
Sudan
Swaziland
Zambia