The banned airlines deemed unsafe to fly in the UK

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.

Read more: Every country currently on the Foreign Office ‘do not travel’ list

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:

Angola

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

These two airlines are exempt from the restrictions:

Armenia

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