EU keeps Armenian airlines on aviation blacklist after latest assessment

Armenia’s aviation sector will remain on the European Union’s aviation safety “blacklist,” despite the fact that an EU assessment mission did not identify deficiencies directly affecting flight safety during its recent inspection.

The Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia announced this in response to inquiries from Armenian media, as reported by Caliber.Az.

All Armenian airlines were placed on the European Commission’s aviation safety blacklist in 2020. In autumn 2025, the EU conducted a new audit aimed at evaluating the current state of the country’s aviation oversight system. Following the review, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan stated at a final press conference on February 3, 2026, that Armenia’s aviation sector would remain on the blacklist due to newly identified violations.

According to the Civil Aviation Committee, the shortcomings detected during the autumn assessment differ from those recorded in 2020. The newly identified issues are primarily linked to deficiencies in the implementation of oversight and certification functions for aircraft operators by the Committee’s Flight Operations Department. Specifically, the problems are associated with the incomplete implementation of a Compliance Monitoring System.

The Committee explained that the system was introduced only recently and still requires further development in order to establish a sustainable administrative culture capable of ensuring consistently high-quality work.

To address the identified issues, the Committee has prepared a comprehensive roadmap that includes both short-term and long-term corrective measures.

“The Committee has developed and submitted to the EU an action plan aimed at eliminating the deficiencies. Some of these shortcomings have already been resolved, while work on the remaining issues is ongoing and relates to improving the quality assurance system, strengthening administrative culture, and ensuring proper generational renewal,” the Committee said in a statement.

As part of efforts to meet EU requirements, the Committee is currently revising the Law on Aviation. Following its adoption, additional secondary legal acts will also be introduced. Officials noted that implementing the new regulatory standards will require additional human resources, and a proposal has therefore been submitted to expand the agency’s staffing levels.

The Committee emphasized that the proposed action plan and corrective measures must first be approved and ratified by the EU. After ratification, the European side is expected to discuss and schedule the next assessment visit.

The inclusion of Armenian airlines on the blacklist in 2020 effectively prohibited local carriers from operating flights within EU airspace due to non-compliance with international aviation safety standards. Armenia was listed alongside countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Congo, Nepal, Sudan and several others.

On November 15, 2021, Armenia and the EU signed a Common Aviation Agreement. However, full implementation of the agreement remains conditional on Armenia continuing to align its national legislation with EU norms in areas including aviation safety, air traffic management, environmental protection, economic regulation, and consumer rights protection.

In January 2025, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure acknowledged that the blacklist status had created operational difficulties for Armenian airlines seeking to fly to European Union destinations. As an interim solution, carriers have been able to maintain routes by leasing aircraft from foreign airlines under contractual arrangements.

By Tamilla Hasanova