UN agency rejects EU call for global airline blacklist 

"I don't think that this is the solution at the global level," said Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, president of the ICAO Council, reacting yesteday (9 July) to Commissioner Tajani's recent proposal to create of a global blacklist of unsafe airlines, along the lines of European Black List (EurActiv 01/07/09).

The ICAO is a United Nations agency governing the safety of international air transport. It audits its 190 member states, rather than airlines.

"At present, I cannot be in favour of a world blacklist, because I don't have a mandate from the states of ICAO to do this," Gonzalez added. 

"We have to avoid accidents, but lists that may discourage passengers from using a particular aircraft of a particular airline on certain routes will not necessarily reduce accidents," he argued.

Meanwhile, if ICAO member states decided to go for a blacklist, ICAO would implement it, Gonzalez said. 

He also "fully agreed" with Commissioner Tajani that more cooperation was needed between the EU and ICAO, but added that cooperation should also involve the International Air Transport Association, which groups the world's major airlines. Such cooperation could pave way for a global strategy to enhance aviation safety, he said.

Such a strategy should feature a range of measures like "helping states that have difficulties in dealing with problems," Gonzalez said. ICAO also thinks it should draw on existing measures and sources - nor should it be only about information about what is wrong. "There have to be some positive actions too," Gonzales said.

In addition, "there has to be a programme to inform the public. It is not enough to say publicly what is wrong. We have to take action to right what is wrong and more transparency measures to remedy the deficiencies that exist in the field of transport". 

Commissioner Tajani said that the EU would present a general document - "not just a blacklist" - on a global strategy indicating what more can be done. Tajani said he would ask the Spanish transport minister for help with this, in view of preparing such a document in time for a global aviation safety conference in March 2010, during the Spanish EU Presidency.