There are banned airlines, all over the world. Some may be flying over your head as we speak (depending on where you’re reading this from). Some airlines are banned from certain air spaces, whether from individual countries, or blocs of countries. This can have a detrimental effect one those banned airlines, but why are they banned? And how does an airline get banned in the first place?
Why are airlines banned?
The aviation industry is an industry designed to have checks and balances, and if these checks and balances are not maintained, there is going to be some kick-back.
- Poor safety record– This is the most common reason for airlines getting banned. The airline industry is safety-oriented, by that, no one is allowed to die due to the negligence of the airline itself. If an airline has a poor safety standard, they will not be allowed to fly into a country’s air space. End of conversation.
- Old(er) aircraft– if an airline operates an aging fleet, ie. one that looks like it belongs in an aviation history book, and these aircraft are not fit for purpose anymore, it can see the airline getting banned in order to prevent any accidents.
- Poorly maintained aircraft– This links with safety, but is entirely separate. Especially if an airline’s fleet is aging, and the trained mechanics are going into retirement, this can see maintenance levels drop. If this happens, it is a safety problem, and therefore, the airline will be banned.
- Poorly trained staff– This too links with safety. If there is a low quality of staff, especially pilots, this increases the likelihood that an accident will occur, so an aviation authority will likely ban the airline, in order to prevent that.
- Not enough oversight in origin country– If an airline originates from a country that doesn’t have a civil aviation authority, or one that is renowned for not conforming to safety standards. It will be forced to ban that airline, of the current banned aircraft in the EU, most come from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
- Political motivations– Sometimes, a country or political bloc, have diplomatic problems with over countries, some are big, and some are small. This leads to a fear of retribution in the form of an attack, and airlines often provide the easiest route to do so. Due to this fear, a country or bloc may choose to ban an airline in order to spare itself the pain.
In the end, banning airlines makes a lot of sense. You wouldn’t want a 1950’s aircraft that’s not been maintained, flown by a drunk pilot, flying over your head, or in your skies. In the end, banning an airline comes down to safety, if you can’t verify the safety of an airline, you can’t allow them to fly in your airspace.
How are airlines banned?
Airlines are always banned by a country, or bloc-wide aviation body like the FAA or EASA. New airlines always have to obtain permission from the aviation body in order to use their air space, air traffic control towers etc. Once this permission is asked for, the aviation body will review the body in order to make certain the safety record of the airline.
If the airline comes back clean, permission will be granted. If the airline does not come back clean, it will be added to the banned airlines list, and any fights attempting to enter their airspace will be turned away.
Should a banned airline attempt to enter the airspace unlawfully, they will be asked to leave. If they refuse, or maintain a level of radio silence, a fighter escort will appear to take them out of the airspace, with a potential fine based on the incursion. If they continue to refuse, they may be forced to land or forcefully removed from the sky in general.
How are banned airlines supposed to operate?
You are probably wondering how a banned airlines are supposed to operate, if it is banned in an important aviation bloc or country, such as the US or the EU. For banned airlines, this can have a detrimental effect on their brand image and for their potential customer base.
But there are actually two banned airlines lists. One which is a complete ban, and the other, which is a set of restrictions.
With restrictions, they can operate, but must always stick to their limitations. However, with a complete ban, often it is quite difficult to regain your reputation. For many of these banned airlines, the only option is to operate domestically, or to operate in neighboring countries that do not ban that airline.
Other than that, banned airlines struggle to expand internationally, as often they are further banned by other aviation authorities.
What other reasons are there for airlines getting banned? Should we allow aviation authorities to ban airlines? Why or why not? Tell me in the comments!