Source:

March 30, 2010

— The European Commission announced Tuesday that it included Iran Air on its list of restricted airliners because of serious safety concerns.

The European Commission, in its 13th update to the list of embargoed in the European Union, added Iran Air to its list of restricted airliners. The commission said it planned to visit Iran over the next months to review the oversight of Iranian civil aviation.

Iran has witnessed around 12 fatal air crashes in the 21st century. The situation is exacerbated by Western restrictions on replacement parts.

The European Commission added Afghan, Rwandan and Cambodian airlines to its list of carriers fully banned in the European Union.

More than 250 companies from 17 countries are banned from in European airspace. There are 10 other carriers that can operate under restricted conditions in the European Union.

Siim Kallas, the Estonian vice president of the European Commission, said safety comes first in the European Union.

“We are ready to support countries that need to build up technical and administrative capacity to guarantee the necessary standards in civil aviation,” he said. “But we cannot accept that airlines fly into the EU if they do not fully comply with international safety standards.”