The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, announced that the country’s airlines will soon be removed from the European Union (EU) air safety blacklist, which will allow them to operate direct flights to Europe.
During an official visit to Berlin, Japarov met with Johan Pelissier, President of Airbus for the Europe region and Head of Commercial Aircraft Sales, where they discussed various aviation-related matters and the prospects for cooperation between the two countries.
One of the central topics of the meeting was support for the national airline Asman Airlines, which, as President Japarov highlighted, will focus on fleet renewal and the introduction of modern technologies. In this regard, the president emphasized the importance of starting a phase of cooperation in which Asman Airlines will lease two Airbus aircraft, either A320 or A321 models, to operate routes to Europe, such as the connections between Bishkek and Paris, Berlin, and London.
Asman Airlines is a state-owned airline that began flying in September of this year with Q400 turboprop aircraft serving only five cities in Kyrgyzstan. Other significant Kyrgyzstan-based airlines include Avia Traffic Company, which flies to several Russian cities and Istanbul, Aero Nomad, with flights to India, Russia, Turkey, and Pakistan, and TezJet, which focuses on domestic flights.
Japarov also emphasized the efforts made to improve air safety in the country, implementing international standards and modernizing airport infrastructure. According to the president, these measures have significantly increased the chances of the EU lifting the restrictions affecting Kyrgyz aviation.
The removal of Kyrgyz airlines from the EU safety blacklist represents an important opportunity to open new direct routes between Kyrgyzstan and several European destinations, which, according to Japarov, will help boost the country’s international connectivity and the growth of the tourism and commercial sectors.
Kyrgyzstan is primarily connected to Europe through airlines like Pegasus, Ajet, and Turkish Airlines with flights via Istanbul. Russian airlines such as Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Ural Airlines, and Red Wing Airlines also have a significant presence in Kyrgyzstan.
Other Asian countries whose airlines remain on the European Union blacklist include Armenia, Nepal, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
