France is to publish an airline “blacklist” as part of a package of measures that it hopes will set a precedent in international aviation security.
French transport minister Dominique Perben said last week he will publish a list of operators that are banned from French soil, as well as a list of those which are authorised. He also plans to “significantly increase” controls on carriers before they are granted French traffic or landing rights. Perben did not detail the criteria to be used to assess airlines, however.
The French transport ministry says: “If our country is to be seen as a leader and key player on the international scene, we must reinforce existing measures, enabling us to deal with strong aviation growth forecasts and the increase in charter and low-cost carriers.”
Perben will also implement a list of “blue label”-approved carriers, initiated by his predecessor Gilles de Robien, before the end of the year. Measures to better inform passengers about the identity of operating carriers also form part of Perben’s plan. France will now develop an operational framework for the scheme and will formalise its plans by the end of October.
The measures follow the loss of French nationals in last year’s Flash Airlines Boeing 737 crash at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and the more recent West Carribean Airways Boeing MD-82 crash in Venezuela.
VICTORIA MOORES/LONDON
Source: Flight International
