The European Union has banned all Tanzanian airlines, including the national carrier Air Tanzania, from flying within EU airspace. This decision follows serious concerns about aviation safety and regulatory oversight in Tanzania.
The European Commission announced the ban after updating the EU Air Safety List, which now includes 35 Tanzanian air operators and airlines from Suriname. According to the EU, the decision was based on an in-depth safety review conducted by EU aviation specialists, who identified systemic weaknesses in how Tanzania regulates and monitors aviation safety.
Raised concerns
Among the issues highlighted were: A lack of trained and qualified personnel within the country’s aviation authority, poor enforcement of international safety and maintenance standards, persistent non-compliance with global aviation regulations.
The Commission emphasized that the ban was based solely on safety concerns, not political motives. It was unanimously supported by experts from all EU member states during a meeting of the EU Air Safety Committee, held in Brussels from 13 to 15 May 2025 with backing from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The inclusion of Tanzania brings the total number of countries banned from EU skies to seventeen, covering 142 airlines worldwide due to unsafe oversight systems. Additionally, 27 more airlines, including those from Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Zimbabwe, and Iraq, have been banned due to direct safety concerns with their operations.
As a result of the ban, Air Tanzania can no longer operate flights to any EU country, a significant blow to its international growth plans. The EU has stated that Tanzania must rectify the identified safety issues in order to be reconsidered for access to European airspace in the future.
This development highlights the importance of robust aviation governance, and it places pressure on Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) to implement sweeping reforms to meet global safety standards.