EU's new no-fly zone

After a summer that saw a number of fatal air accidents the EU has decided to take action against airlines that have a poor safety record. 

"European citizens will all be able to consult the blacklist of airlines that do not meet European safety criteria." said Jacques Barrot, the Commission's Vice President responsible for transport.

The European Commission, Parliament and Council have all signed off on a proposal for a regulation on air carrier identity, and the legislation should be passed before the end of the year.

In a statement the Commission said: "Europe will now have its own means of imposing flight bans and restrictions on all airlines that are considered to be dangerous. These measures can be imposed without discrimination on all carriers, regardless of whether they are European or non-European. The measures will be imposed on the basis of common safety criteria that are applicable in all EU states. The new regulation will thus give all passengers in Europe exactly the same guarantees on safety. It should also act as a deterrent to airlines with lax safety standards, as well as providing a coordinated approach to combat the potential confusion of having separate national blacklists."

A number of member states already have their own blacklists in operation, including Britain and France. However, the EU feels this is not enough. In May this year a Turkish airline that had been suspended by four countries simply redirected its flights to Belgium, which had no ban at that time.

If an airline appears on the blacklist, passengers will be entitled to a refund or to be re-routed to their final destination.