Aviation industry regulations are as stringent as ever in 2025 – but passengers should still consider the safety of operations when choosing who to fly with.

Failure to follow operational protocols and meet internationally agreed safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) can land airlines on the UK Air Safety List of carriers banned from operating.

Following its departure from the European Union in 2020, the UK Government agreed on a Future Trade Agreement from 31 December 2020 to establish a new framework for air travel.

Third-country operators are now required to hold a UK-Part TCO certificate and a Foreign Carrier Permit issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before any commercial flight can travel to, from or within the United Kingdom.

According to advice from the CAA and the UK Air Safety Committee, 138 named carriers are currently prohibited from operating commercial flights in UK airspace due to poor safety performance.

Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: “In reality, there is no likelihood of the vast majority of these airlines ever flying to the European Union or the UK. But the list provides a handy guide of carriers to be wary of when travelling in the rest of the world.”

Here are the airlines banned from taking off for the UK to protect and inform travellers

The airlines banned from operating in the UK

Afghanistan

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Afghanistan are banned from operating, including:

Ariana Afghan Airlines

Kam Air

Angola

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Angola are banned from operating, including:

Aerojet

Air Jet

Bestfly Aircraft

Guicango

Heliang

Sjl

These two airlines are exempt from the restrictions:

Taag-Linhas Aereas De Angola, S.A. dba Taag- Angola Airlines

Heli Malongo Aviacao e Servicos De Angola, LDA dba Heli-Malongo

Armenia

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Armenia are banned from operating, including:

Aircompany Armenia

Armenia Airways

Armenia Helicopters

Atlantis Armenian Airlines

Atlantis European Airways

Mars Avia

Skyball

Comoros

One carrier with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Comoros is prohibited from operating commercial air services within the UK:

Air Service Comores

Congo (Brazzaville)

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Congo (Brazzaville) are banned from operating, including:

Canadian Airways Congo

Equaflight Services

Equajet

Societe Nouvelle Air Congo

Trans Air Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are banned from operating, including:

Air Fast Congo

Air Katanga

Busy Bee Congo

Compagnie Africaine D’Aviation (CAA)

Congo Airways

Kin Avia

Malu Aviation

Mwant Jet

Serve Air Cargo

Swala Aviation

Mwant Jet

Djibouti

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating, including:

Daallo Airlines

Equatorial Guinea

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating, including:

Ceiba Intercontinental

Cronos Airlines

Eritrea

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Eritrea are banned from operating, including:

Eritrean Airlines

Nasair Eritrea

Iran

The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Iran is banned from operating:

Iran Aseman Airlines

Iran Air, with the exception of their Fokker 100 and B747 aircraft, is permitted to operate into, within or out of the United Kingdom.

Iraq

The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Iraq is banned from operating:

Iraqi Airways

Kyrgyzstan

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Kyrgyzstan are banned from operating, including:

Air Company Air Kg

Air Manas

Avia Traffic Company

Sky Kg Airlines

Tez Jet

Liberia

According to the UK Air Safety List, “all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Liberia are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom”.

Libya

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Libya are banned from operating, including:

Afriqiyah Airways

Air Libya

Al Maha Aviation

Buraq Air

Global Aviation and Services

Libyan Airlines

Libyan Wings Airlines

Petro Air

Nepal

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Nepal are banned from operating, including:

Air Dynasty Heli. S

Altitude Air

Buddha Air

Fishtail Air

Guna Airlines

Heli Everest

Himalaya Airlines

Kailash Helicopter Services

Makalu Air

Manang Air Pvt

Mountain Helicopters

Mustang Helicopters

Prabhu Helicopters

Nepal Airlines Corporation

Saurya Airlines

Shree Airlines

Simrik Air

Sita Air

Summit Air

Tara Air

Yeti Airlines

North Korea

Airline Air Koryo is permitted to fly in the UK when operating TU-204 aircraft with registration P-632 or P-633.

All other aircraft operated by Air Koryo are banned.

Pakistan

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Pakistan are banned from operating, including:

Airblue Limited

AirSial

Pakistan International Airlines

SereneAir Private Ltd.

Vision Air International (Private) Ltd.

The Russian Federation

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of The Russian Federation are banned from operating, including:

Airbridgecargo Airlines Limited Liability Company

Air Company Aviacon Zitotrans

Aircompany North-West Llc

Air Company Sirius-Aero Ltd

Air Company Sky Gates Airlines Llc

Atran Llc

Aviacompany Aviastar-Tu

Azur Air Limited Liability Company

Erofey Limited Liability Company

Fsbi Aviation Rescue Company Of Emercom Of Russia

Gazpromavia Aviation Company Limited

Joint Stock Company Air Company Yakutia

Joint Stock Company Air Management Group

Joint Stock Company Alrosa Air Company

Joint Stock Company Azimuth Airlines

Joint-Stock Company Iraero Airlines

Joint Stock Company Jet Air Group

Joint Stock Company Nordstar Airlines

Joint Stock Company Red Wings

Joint Stock Company Royal Flight Airlines

Joint Stock Company Rusjet

Joint Stock Company Siberia Airlines

Joint Stock Company Smartavia Airlines

Joint Stock Company The 224-th Flight Unit State Airlines

Joint Stock Company Ural Airlines

Joint Stock Company Uvt Aero

Js Aviation Company Rusline

Jsc Yamal Airlines

Limited Liability Company Aviaservis

Limited Liability Company Aviation Technology Investment Service

Llc Aircompany Ikar

Llc Nord Wind

Ltd I Fly

Meridian Air Company

Pobeda Airlines Limited Liability Company

Rossiya Airlines Joint Stock Company

Russian Airlines Aeroflot

Severstal Aircompany Ltd

Tulpar Air Ltd

Turukhan Aviation

Utair Aviation

Utair Limited

Volga Dnepr Airlines

São Tomé and Principe

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of São Tomé and Principe are banned from operating, including:

Africa’s Connection

STP Airways

Sierra Leone

According to the UK Air Safety List, “all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Sierra Leone are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom”.

Sudan

All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Sudan are banned from operating, including:

Alfa Airlines Sd

Badr Airlines

Blue Bird Aviation

Eldinder Aviation

Green Flag Aviation

Helejetic Air

Kata Air Transport

Kush Aviation

Nova Airways

Sudan Airways

Sun Air

Tarco Air

Suriname

The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Suriname is banned from operating:

Blue Wing Airlines

Venezuela

The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Venezuela is banned from operating:

Avior Airlines

Zimbabwe

The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Zimbabwe is banned from operating:

Air Zimbabwe (PVT)

(The Telegraph: Text, Excluding Headline)