Well, this is fun. The European Union has banned 92 airlines from entering European airspace due to their failure to meet basic safety standards. EU Transport Minister Jacques Barrot has described these carriers as “flying coffins.”
I was happy to discover that I’ve never flown any of the blacklisted airlines, although I once came close to flying Phuket Airlines in Thailand two years ago.
A few of the offenders are based in Central Asia, but the overwhelming majority can be found in Africa. Congo leads the charge with an incredible 50 airlines while Sierra Leone comes in a distant second place with 13.
I don’t know about you, but on my next rip to Africa I’m keeping my feet firmly on the ground my eyes glued to the sky in search of raining aircraft.