138 Airlines Deemed Unsafe To Fly In UK

* The UK Air Safety List has banned 138 airlines from operating in the UK due to poor safety performance.
* The banned airlines include carriers from countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, and others, which have failed to meet international safety standards.
* The list is intended to protect and inform travelers, and Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, notes that it provides a “handy guide of carriers to be wary of when traveling in the rest of the world.”

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_BANNED FROM BRITISH SKIES: 138 AIRLINES DEEMED UNSAFE TO FLY IN THE UK_

The UK Air Safety List has banned 138 airlines from operating in the UK due to poor safety performance. The list, which is intended to protect and inform travelers, includes carriers from countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, and others, which have failed to meet international safety standards.

According to the UK Air Safety List, all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of these countries are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom. Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, noted that the list provides a “handy guide of carriers to be wary of when traveling in the rest of the world.”

The banned airlines include Pakistan International Airlines, Air Zimbabwe, and Avior Airlines, among others. The UK Air Safety List is updated regularly to reflect changes in the safety performance of airlines around the world.

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The banned airlines deemed unsafe to fly in the UK
At least 138 carriers are not compliant with international safety standards to fly in the UK

Natalie Wilson
Friday 17 January 2025 06:01 GMT

The banned airlines deemed unsafe to fly in the UK
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Aviation industry regulations are as stringent as ever in 2025 – but passengers should still consider the safety of operations when choosing who to fly with.

Failure to follow operational protocols and meet internationally agreed safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) can land airlines on the UK Air Safety List of carriers banned from operating.

Following its departure from the European Union in 2020, the UK Government agreed on a Future Trade Agreement from 31 December 2020 to establish a new framework for air travel.

Pakistan International Airlines is not permitted to operate in UK airspace despite the EU lifting its four-year ban
Pakistan International Airlines is not permitted to operate in UK airspace despite the EU lifting its four-year ban

Third-country operators are now required to hold a UK-Part TCO certificate and a Foreign Carrier Permit issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before any commercial flight can travel to, from or within the United Kingdom.

According to advice from the CAA and the UK Air Safety Committee, 138 named.

Here are the airlines banned from taking off for the UK to protect and inform travellers.

The airlines banned from operating in the UK
Afghanistan
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Afghanistan are banned from operating, including:

Ariana Afghan Airlines
Kam Air
Angola
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Angola are banned from operating, including:

Aerojet
Air Jet
Bestfly Aircraft
Guicango
Heliang
Sjl
These two airlines are exempt from the restrictions:

Taag-Linhas Aereas De Angola, S.A. dba Taag- Angola Airlines
Heli Malongo Aviacao e Servicos De Angola, LDA dba Heli-Malongo
Armenia
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Armenia are banned from operating, including:

Aircompany Armenia
Armenia Airways
Armenia Helicopters
Atlantis Armenian Airlines
Atlantis European Airways
Mars Avia
Skyball
Comoros
One carrier with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Comoros is prohibited from operating commercial air services within the UK:

Canadian Airways Congo
Equaflight Services
Equajet
Societe Nouvelle Air Congo
Trans Air Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are banned from operating, including:

Air Fast Congo
Air Katanga
Busy Bee Congo
Compagnie Africaine D’Aviation (CAA)
Congo Airways
Kin Avia
Malu Aviation
Mwant Jet
Serve Air Cargo
Swala Aviation
Mwant Jet
Djibouti
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating, including:

Daallo Airlines
Equatorial Guinea
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating, including:

Ceiba Intercontinental
Cronos Airlines
Eritrea
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Eritrea are banned from operating, including:

Eritrean Airlines
Nasair Eritrea
Iran
The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Iran is banned from operating:

Iran Aseman Airlines
Iran Air, with the exception of their Fokker 100 and B747 aircraft, is permitted to operate into, within or out of the United Kingdom.

Iraq
The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Iraq is banned from operating:

Iraqi Airways
Kyrgyzstan
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Kyrgyzstan are banned from operating, including:

Air Company Air Kg
Air Manas
Avia Traffic Company
Sky Kg Airlines
Tez Jet
Liberia
According to the UK Air Safety List, “all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Liberia are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom”.

Libya
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Libya are banned from operating, including:

Afriqiyah Airways
Air Libya
Al Maha Aviation
Buraq Air
Global Aviation and Services
Libyan Airlines
Libyan Wings Airlines
Petro Air
Nepal
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Nepal are banned from operating, including:

Air Dynasty Heli. S
Altitude Air
Buddha Air
Fishtail Air
Guna Airlines
Heli Everest
Himalaya Airlines
Kailash Helicopter Services
Makalu Air
Manang Air Pvt
Mountain Helicopters
Mustang Helicopters
Prabhu Helicopters
Nepal Airlines Corporation
Saurya Airlines
Shree Airlines
Simrik Air
Sita Air
Summit Air
Tara Air
Yeti Airlines
North Korea
Airline Air Koryo is permitted to fly in the UK when operating TU-204 aircraft with registration P-632 or P-633.

All other aircraft operated by Air Koryo are banned.

Pakistan
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Pakistan are banned from operating, including:

Airblue Limited
AirSial
Pakistan International Airlines
SereneAir Private Ltd.
Vision Air International (Private) Ltd.
The Russian Federation
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of The Russian Federation are banned from operating, including:

Airbridgecargo Airlines Limited Liability Company
Air Company Aviacon Zitotrans
Aircompany North-West Llc
Air Company Sirius-Aero Ltd
Air Company Sky Gates Airlines Llc
Atran Llc
Aviacompany Aviastar-Tu
Azur Air Limited Liability Company
Erofey Limited Liability Company
Fsbi Aviation Rescue Company Of Emercom Of Russia
Gazpromavia Aviation Company Limited
Joint Stock Company Air Company Yakutia
Joint Stock Company Air Management Group
Joint Stock Company Alrosa Air Company
Joint Stock Company Azimuth Airlines
Joint-Stock Company Iraero Airlines
Joint Stock Company Jet Air Group
Joint Stock Company Nordstar Airlines
Joint Stock Company Red Wings
Joint Stock Company Royal Flight Airlines
Joint Stock Company Rusjet
Joint Stock Company Siberia Airlines
Joint Stock Company Smartavia Airlines
Joint Stock Company The 224-th Flight Unit State Airlines
Joint Stock Company Ural Airlines
Joint Stock Company Uvt Aero
Js Aviation Company Rusline
Jsc Yamal Airlines
Limited Liability Company Aviaservis
Limited Liability Company Aviation Technology Investment Service
Llc Aircompany Ikar
Llc Nord Wind
Ltd I Fly
Meridian Air Company
Pobeda Airlines Limited Liability Company
Rossiya Airlines Joint Stock Company
Russian Airlines Aeroflot
Severstal Aircompany Ltd
Tulpar Air Ltd
Turukhan Aviation
Utair Aviation
Utair Limited
Volga Dnepr Airlines
São Tomé and Principe
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of São Tomé and Principe are banned from operating, including:

Africa’s Connection
STP Airways
Sierra Leone
According to the UK Air Safety List, “all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Sierra Leone are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom”.

Sudan
All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Sudan are banned from operating, including:

Alfa Airlines Sd
Badr Airlines
Blue Bird Aviation
Eldinder Aviation
Green Flag Aviation
Helejetic Air
Kata Air Transport
Kush Aviation
Nova Airways
Sudan Airways
Sun Air
Tarco Air
Suriname
The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Suriname is banned from operating:

Blue Wing Airlines
Venezuela
The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Venezuela is banned from operating:

Zimbabwe
The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Zimbabwe is banned from operating:

Air Zimbabwe (PVT)
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast