LOC23:30
20:30 GMT
BRUSSELS, June 1 (KUNA) -- The European Commission Wednesday added one more additional Russian airline, "I Fly", to the EU Air Safety List.
Today's EU Air Safety Committee's decision is in continuity with the previous addition of 20 Russian certified airlines in April, which had knowingly allowed flights without valid certificates of airworthiness, it said in a press release.
As of today, 22 Russian certified airlines are on EU's blacklist.
The Commission today updated the current EU Air Safety List, which is the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union because they do not meet international safety standards.
EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said: "The Commission closely monitors all Russian airlines that have foreign-owned aircraft without a valid certificate of airworthiness in their fleet, added illegally by Russia to its Register".
She underlined "that this decision is not another sanction against Russia; it has been taken solely based on technical and safety grounds".
Taking into account today's update, a total of 118 airlines are banned from EU skies. (end)
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