ACAA wants EU to remove Afghan airlines from blacklist

KABUL Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) on Monday said it had implemented comprehensive reforms and Afghan airlines could successfully operate flights to European countries.

A statement from ACAA said its head Dr. Mohammad Qasim Wafayezada met European Union envoy to Afghanistan Pierre Mayaudon and discussed the removal of Afghan airlines from the EU Air Safety List and resumption of Afghan airline flights to European states.

Wafayezada also shared with Mayaudon International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s evaluation conducted by ACAA

Major reforms were brought to ACAA and Afghan airlines were able to operate flights to European states.

The ACAA head asked the ambassador to send a delegation to Afghanistan for the evaluation of the authority’s work and assess the current situation of Afghan airlines.

Wafayezada said ACAA remained committed to following the standards of ICAO and had already taken practical steps in the regard.

The statement said the EU envoy to Afghanistan appreciated ACAA efforts and said they were ready for any type of cooperation.

A conference on cooperation between Europe and Afghanistan would be held in Kabul next month and removing Afghanistan airlines from the EU Air Safety List would top the agenda, the quoted Pierre Mayaudon as saying.

Afghanistan’s national airline Aryana was established 66 years ago and had regular flights to several European countries, including the UK and France before the Taliban regime.

But the national flag-carrier and other private airlines were banned from operating flights to European countries in the recent past due to their low standards.

mds/mud