14.10.2006EN Official Journal of the European Union L 283/27 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1543/2006 of 12 October 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 establishing the Community list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Community referred to in Chapter II of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council and as amended by Regulation (EC) No 910/2006 (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, subject to an operating ban within the Community referred to in Chapter II of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), a Member State requested to update the Community list. Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, (4) In accordance with Article 4(3) of the basic Regulation, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the Member States communicated to the Commission infor- European Parliament and the Council of 14 December 2005 mation that is relevant in the context of updating the on the establishment of a Community list of air carriers subject Community list. On this basis, the Commission should to an operating ban within the Community and on informing decide to update the Community list on its own initiative air transport passengers of the identity of the operating air or at the request of Member States. carrier, and repealing Article 9 of Directive 2004/36/CE (1) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the basic Regulation’), and in particular Article 4 thereof, (5) In accordance with Article 7 of the basic Regulation and Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 473/2006, the Commission informed all air carriers concerned either Whereas: directly or, when this was not practicable, through the authorities responsible for their regulatory oversight, indi- cating the essential facts and considerations which would form the basis for a decision to impose on them an operating ban within the Community or to modify the (1) The Commission adopted Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 conditions of an operating ban imposed on an air carrier of 22 March 2006 establishing the Community list of air which is included in the Community list. carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Community referred to in Chapter II of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2). (6) In accordance with Article 7 of the basic Regulation and Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 473/2006, opportunity was given by the Commission to the air carriers (2) The Commission adopted Regulation (EC) No 910/2006 concerned to consult the documents provided by of 20 June 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No Member States, to submit written comments and to 474/2006 of 22 March 2006 establishing the make an oral presentation to the Commission within Community list of air carriers which are subject to an 10 working days and to the Air Safety Committee (5). operating ban within the Community referred to in Chapter II of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). (7) In accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 473/2006, the authorities with responsibility for regu- latory oversight over the air carriers concerned have (3) In accordance with Article 4(2) of the basic Regulation been consulted by the Commission as well as, in and Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No specific cases, by some Member States. 473/2006 of 22 March 2006 laying down implementing rules for the Community list of air carriers which are (4) OJ L 84, 23.3.2006, p. 8. (5) Established by Article 12 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (1) OJ L 344, 27.12.2005, p. 15. of 16 December 1991 on the harmonization of technical (2) OJ L 84, 23.3.2006, p. 14. requirements and administrative procedures in the field of civil (3) OJ L 168, 21.6.2006, p. 16. aviation (OJ L 373, 31.12.1991, p. 4). L 283/28EN Official Journal of the European Union 14.10.2006 Dairo Air Services and DAS Air Cargo conducted a fact-finding mission to the Kyrgyz Republic from 10 to 15 September 2006. Its report shows that (8) There is evidence that the operator DAS Air Cargo (DAZ) the Kyrgyz civil aviation authority has revealed an in- certified in Kenya is a subsidiary of Dairo Air Services sufficient ability to implement and enforce the relevant (DSR) certified in Uganda. The two carriers operate the safety standards in accordance with their obligations same aircraft. Therefore, any measure decided with regard under the Chicago convention. to DSR should equally be applicable to DAZ. (14) In addition, a majority of carriers visited by the European (9) There is verified evidence of serious safety deficiencies on experts although holders of an Air Operators Certificate the part of Dairo Air Services. These deficiencies have (AOC) issued by Kyrgyz Republic, did not have their been identified by the Netherlands, the United principle place of business in Kyrgyz Republic, contrary Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany and Spain, during to the requirements of Annex 6 to the Chicago ramp inspections performed under the SAFA Convention. programme (1); the repetition of these inspection findings indicates systemic safety deficiencies. Despite cooperation with Member States and individual remedial actions taken by the Ugandan authorities and (15) On the basis of the common criteria, it is assessed that by Dairo Air Services, the repetition of these findings all air carriers certified in Kyrgyz Republic do not meet indicates systemic safety deficiencies. the relevant safety standards and therefore they should be subject to an operating ban and included in Annex A. (10) The UK Civil Aviation Authority performed an inspection on Dairo Air Services and Das Air Cargo, which revealed (16) The authorities of Kyrgyz Republic have provided the that between 21 April and 25 July 2006 aircraft operated Commission with evidence of the withdrawal of the by the two air carriers were being maintained by a main- Air Operator's Certificates of the following two air tenance organisation without a proper approval, thus carriers: Phoenix Aviation and Star Jet. Since these two constituting a serious safety deficiency. carriers certified in Kyrgyz Republic have consequently ceased their activities, they should not be included in Annex A. (11) DSR demonstrated a lack of transparency and adequate and timely communication in response to an enquiry by the civil aviation authority of the Netherlands regarding Air carriers from the Democratic Republic of Congo the safety aspect of its operation, as demonstrated by the absence of an adequate and timely reply to the corre- (17) The authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo spondence sent by this Member State. have provided the Commission with information indi- cating that they released an AOC to the following air carriers: Air Beni, Air Infini, Bel Glob Airlines, Bravo Air Congo, Gomair, Katanga Airways, Sun Air Services, Zaabu International. Since these new air carriers are (12) On the basis of the common criteria, it is assessed that certified by the authorities of the Democratic Republic Dairo Air Services and DAS Air Cargo do not fully meet of Congo which have shown a lack of ability to carry out the relevant safety standards, and therefore should be adequate safety oversight, they should be included in included in Annex A. Annex A. Air carriers from the Kyrgyz Republic (18) The authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo have provided the Commission with evidence of the (13) Following the invitation of the Kyrgyz Republic civil withdrawal of the Air Operator's Certificates of the aviation authority, a team of European experts following air carriers: African Business and Transpor- tations, Air Charter Services, Air Plan International, Air – (1) CAA-NL-2000-47, CAA-NL-2003-50, CAA-NL-2004-13, CAA-NL- Transport Service, ATO Air Transport Office, Congo 2004-39, CAA-NL-2004-132, CAA-NL-2004-150, CAA-NL-2005- Air, Dahla Airlines, DAS Airlines, Espace Aviation 8, CAA-NL-2005-65, CAA-NL-2005-141, CAA-NL-2005-159, Services, Funtshi Aviation Service, GR Aviation, JETAIR CAA-NL-2005-161, CAA-NL-2005-200, CAA-NL-2005-205, CAA- – Jet Aero Services, Kinshasa Airways, Okapi Airways, NL-2005-220, CAA-NL-2005-225, CAA-NL-2006-1, CAA-NL- Scibe Airlift, Shabair, Trans Service Airlift, Waltair 2006-11, CAA-NL-2006-53, CAA-NL-2006-54, CAA-NL-2006-55, Aviation, Zaire Aero Service (ZAS). Since these carriers CAA-NL-2006-56, CAA-NL-2006-57, CAA-UK-2005-24, CAA-UK- 2006-97, CAA-UK-2006-117, DGAC-E-2005-268, LBA/D-2005- certified in the Democratic Republic of Congo have 511, LBA/D-2006-483, BCAA-2000-1, BCAA-2006-38, DGAC/F- consequently ceased their activities, they should be 2003-397. withdrawn from Annex A. 14.10.2006EN Official Journal of the European Union L 283/29 Air carriers from Liberia Air Service Comores (19) The authorities of Liberia have provided the Commission (23) In reply to an inquiry by the civil aviation authority of with evidence of the withdrawal of the Air Operator's France, Air Service Comores indicated that an action plan Certificates of the following air carriers: Air Cargo Plus, had been established in order to correct the safety defi- Air Cess (Liberia), Air Liberia, Atlantic Aviation Services, ciencies identified during ramp inspections. However, Bridge Airlines, Excel Air Services, International Air there is still no evidence of the implementation of an Services, Jet Cargo-Liberia, Liberia Airways, Liberian appropriate action plan for all operations of Air Service World Airlines, Lonestar Airways, Midair Limited, Occi- Comores.