EU bans Libyan airlines over safety concerns Published duration 3 April 2012

image copyright Reuters image caption Tripoli airport: Libya's infrastructure was badly damaged in the anti-Gaddafi revolt

The EU has banned all Libyan airlines from its airspace until November at the earliest because of safety concerns.

The ban was agreed with Libya's civil aviation authorities, a European Commission statement said.

The Commission - the EU's executive arm - spoke of "serious concerns... regarding the safety oversight of air carriers licensed in Libya".

An interim government has been running Libya since Col Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in a revolt last year.

The updated EU air safety list also includes a ban on the Venezuelan airline Conviasa, deemed to fall below safety standards.

Two other Venezuelan carriers, Estellar Latinoamerica and Aerotuy, have been placed under strict monitoring.