December 23, 2016
The European Union last week banned Iran Aseman Airlines from flying anywhere in the EU due to safety deficiencies.
Aseman, which has been flying since 1970, promptly responded that it does not fly into the EU and has no plans to do so. But Aseman sidestepped the more important point that the EU said it was unsafe.
All other Iranian airlines are allowed to fly into the EU, although Iran Air, with 26 aircraft, is barred from using its four Fokker 100s and one Boeing 747 in the EU.
The EU did not explain what was wrong with the safety procedures at Iran Aseman Airlines, which has 34 planes, half of them Fokker-100s.
Aseman is Iran’s second largest carrier by fleet size. Mahan Air is the largest by far with 56 aircraft.
The EU Air Safety List was updated last Thursday with Aseman banned from EU airspace and all carriers from Kazakhstan removed from the safety list and now allowed to fly into the EU.
The EU currently bans 193 airlines from 21 countries from EU airspace. It bans all airlines from 14 African countries and four from non-African countries—Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan, plus Aseman, Iraqi Airways and Blue Wing Airlines of Surinam and some of the aircraft from six other airlines, including Iran Air.
In July, Aseman said it was planning to buy up to 25 regional jets from Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for about $500 million. Mitsubishi only recently flew its Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) for the first time and is not yet manufacturing the plane.