BRUSSELS (KazInform) — In June, the European Commission published an updated list of airlines that are banned from operating in European Union. This was preceded by a hearing of the European Commission’s Flight Safety Committee in Brussels for updating the list of air airline that are banned to operate in Europe, during which the issue of Kazakhstan airlines was also considered.

Bek Air Flight 2100

The accident aircraft in 2011 when flying for Contact Air with the registration D-AKFC
Bek Air Flight 2100 was a domestic passenger flight from Almaty to Nur-Sultan (ex Astana) operated by a Fokker 100 that crashed on 27 December 2019 while taking off from Almaty International Airport. There were 98 people on board. Thirteen people died in the crash, and 66 were injured.
(Credit: Maarten Visser)

Following the crash of a Bek Air plane, the European Commission expressed concern about the ability of the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan to provide effective control and supervision of flight safety in the country. On February 14, 2020, the European Commission sent an official request for ongoing work to change the organizational structure of the country’s aviation authorities, for the results of control and oversight of industry entities over the past three years and for the flights safety status of major passenger airlines (Air Astana, SCAT and Bek Air).

On February 28, the EU’s Civil Aviation Committee, together with Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, presented information on the launch of a new approach in regulating the civil aviation industry from August 1, 2019, based on the British management model and European countries practices. This transformation of industry management and safety is being implemented as part of Step 68 of the Nation Plan.

At the same time, the European Commission was also informed about the current state of flight safety in the country and about the results of the audit of Bek Air. Later, on April 21, 2020, Aviation Administration also notified of the withdrawal of the operator’s certificate from Bek Air and the suspension of the operator’s certificate of Azee Air.

In addition, a meeting was held among the Director General of Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan P. Griffiths and representatives of the European Commission and teleconferences were held to discuss the issues raised. On the results of the report, the European Commission sent a letter on the decision to the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee of RoK MIID.

Based on reviewed information, the European Commission decided that today there is no reason to include Kazakhstan airlines in the list of air carriers that are banned from operating in European Union (the black list).

Civil Aviation Committee and Aviation Administration plan to implement a joint project with the European Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to increase the level of flight safety in Kazakhstan by bringing to the European standards the organization of a system for controlling and supervising the country’s flight safety and obtaining Category 1 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for flights to the United States.