This situation certainly does not fare well for the carrier. Must also be an embarassement to the Star Alliance, which EgyptAir recently joined:
EgyptAir warned to improve safety or face EU blacklisting
David Kaminski-Morrow, London (17Jul09, 15:48 GMT, 217 words)
EgyptAir has been warned that it risks inclusion on the European Commission's blacklist of banned airlines unless it addresses serious concerns in several areas of its operation.
In a detailed assessment of its recent blacklist revision, the Commission states that 75 inspections since January last year turned up 240 individual safety findings, including 69 in the highest of the three classifying categories.
The Commission expressed "serious concern" to the Egyptian civil aviation authority in May, regarding "systemic safety deficiencies" at the flag-carrier.
It says the "persistence of serious findings" in areas such as airworthiness, maintenance, operations and the safety of cargo on board has prompted a request for monthly reports, from Egyptian authorities, on implementation of a corrective action plan.
EgyptAir submitted extensive documentation detailing remedial action during June, says the Commission, and made a presentation to the European air safety committee two weeks ago.
As a result the Commission says it is not blacklisting the carrier "at this stage".
But it adds that it has "urged" EgyptAir to provide "without delay" for the sustainable resolution of the various findings, "failing which, appropriate measures will have to be taken".
Inspections of the airline are to be intensified and the air safety committee will review the carrier's position in November. EgyptAir could not immediately be reached for comment.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news