The European Union (EU) on Wednesday published a blacklist of 92 foreign airlines which it says are too dangerous to operate on EU territory.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, adopted on Wednesday the first EU list of airlines to be banned from EU skies. The air ban covers passenger and cargo operators from more than 10countries, including about 50 carriers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 14 from Sierra Leone and 12 from Equatorial Guinea.

Airlines from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Comoros, Liberia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Thailand and North Korea are also on the publicly available list.

Apart from the 92 airlines facing a total ban, another three companies will face some operational restrictions.

"The EU now has a coherent approach to banning airlines. This black list will keep dangerous airlines out of Europe," EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said Wednesday.

"It will also make sure that all airlines operating in Europe's sky meet the highest safety standards," he said.

The EU ban affects about 300 planes in total, said Barrot. The blacklist is due to be published in the EU Official Journal on March 24 and to enter into force the following day.

The list will be updated every three months in consistency with air safety regulations already approved at EU level.

In Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Swaziland, the European ban affects all certified carriers because of what the EU regards as inadequate oversight by civil aviation authorities there. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the bloc-wide prohibition covers all certified airlines except one.

The commission's decision Wednesday rubber-stamps a unanimous decision taken last week by air safety experts from 25 EU aviation authorities.

Brussels has succeeded in overcoming the reluctance of some European capitals in setting up a common list -- only France and the UK had already implemented such a blacklist system.

"We are protecting Europe from companies who try to register in one country after being banned in another," said Barrot.

The creation of a European black list was fast tracked last summer after crashes near Athens and in Venezuela.

Some companies on the blacklist do not fly to Europe, said Barrot without elaborating. He said publicizing these airlines would help Europeans make travel decisions when outside the EU.

Travel agencies that book travelers on blacklisted carriers could face legal action, he said.

Passengers can check the detailed list of banned airlines on the commission's website.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2006)