Belgium to publish black-list of air carriers

Belgium is to publish a black-list of airlines that fail to respect safety regulations, following the lead of Britain, France, the United States and Switzerland.

Pressure has grown on EU countries to come up with a list after five fatal airline crashes worldwide this month killed 300 people.

But the prospect of drawing up a list on which all 25 members of the Union can agree is proving elusive. Italy, for example, would prefer a list of companies that are safe, rather than naming-and-shaming, reports EuroNews.

According to EurActivity the publication comes as a reaction to a series of air crashes in which more than 300 people - among them many French nationals - were killed within only 20 days.

French transport minister Dominique Perben, pointed out, the UK and the United States are already publishing similar lists. Belgium's transport minister Renaat Landuyt announced that his country will also publish a black list of airlines, most likely simultaneously with the French publication.

Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot welcomed the French and Belgian announcements, calling them “a good step towards the consolidated European list which the Commission proposed on 16 February of this year”.

The proposal, which is currently under discussion in the Parliament, would empower the Commission to publish a list of all air carriers that are banned from EU countries' airspace for safety reasons.