Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 23, 2026

Introduction.

The European Commission has updated the EU Air Safety List, reducing the number of banned airlines from 169 to 154 after removing all carriers certified in KYRGYZSTAN, citing major improvements in the country’s aviation safety oversight over the past two decades. At the same time, Air Express Algeria was added to the blacklist due to serious safety deficiencies identified by EU aviation experts, preventing the airline from operating within EU airspace. The revised list now includes 126 airlines from 16 countries with inadequate national safety oversight, including several African states such as ANGOLA, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, DJIBOUTI, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, ERITREA, LIBERIA, LIBYA, SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE, SIERRA LEONE, SUDAN, and TANZANIA, alongside 22 Russian-certified airlines and six individual carriers from other countries facing bans, while two airlines remain under operational restrictions rather than a full ban. The update coincides with the 20th anniversary of the EU Air Safety List, and a new Eurobarometer survey showed strong public confidence in the EU’s airline safety oversight system, with 70% of Europeans viewing the list as an effective passenger protection tool.

Conferences & Events

AFRICA successfully hosted the 2026 AviaDev Africa conference, the continent’s premier aviation route development forum, bringing together approximately 450 delegates representing more than 50 airlines, airports, tourism boards, civil aviation authorities, and industry stakeholders from across AFRICA and beyond. Officially opened by BOTSWANA’s Vice President, Ndaba Gaolathe, the event served as a key platform for advancing discussions on air connectivity, route development, and closer collaboration between the aviation and tourism sectors. Delegates explored strategies to expand route networks, enhance regional integration, and unlock new opportunities for trade, tourism, and investment, while a series of business-to-business meetings, networking sessions, and expert panel discussions facilitated partnerships aimed at driving sustainable growth across the continent’s aviation industry. The successful hosting of the event further strengthened BOTSWANA’s position as an emerging aviation and tourism hub in Southern AFRICA. Looking ahead, organisers announced that AviaDev Africa 2027 will be hosted in ZAMBIA from 9–11 June 2027, marking the next chapter for AFRICA’s leading route development conference.