BY Sallieu S. Kanu
Sierra Leone Has Been on the European Union Aviation Blacklist Since 2008, the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Sierra Leone has been on the Blacklist since 2008. That means that all Airlines registered in Sierra Leone or those that have Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from SL are not allowed to fly into EU Air Spaces.
This clarification came after local news reports indicated that airlines registered in Sierra Leone have been blacklisted from flying into the EU air space following an updated list published by the EU recently.
The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) under the leadership of Director General Musayeroh Barrie has had two successful meetings with the EU safety commission since taking office last year and has agreed on a road map that should see Sierra Leone being removed from the blacklist in 2025.
“Air Sierra Leone does not yet have an AOC from the SLCAA. Air Sierra Leone will operate the regional route with an AOC from Nigeria and will operate the UK route with an AOC from the UK. Both routes are not affected by the EU ban,” the Aviation Authority said.
The newly revised blacklist from European airspace includes 55 African carriers and adds Air Tanzania, while Cameroon’s Camair-Co, now absent from the list, plans to resume service to Paris in 2025.
African airlines account for nearly half of the global carriers deemed too unsafe to fly in European Union airspace, according to an updated list that includes operators from 15 countries worldwide. On the African continent, 55 airlines based in 11 countries are banned from EU skies.