DOC // New lists of banned or restricted air carriers in Moldova published in Official Journal

The Government of the Republic of Moldova has adopted an order approving updated lists of air carriers that are either prohibited from operating in the territory of the Republic of Moldova or are subject to operational restrictions. The document, signed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea entered into force on 19 February upon the publication in the Official Journal and will remain in force until the Republic of Moldova accedes to the European Union.

The measure is based on provisions of European legislation and transposes into national law the relevant annexes to Commission Regulation (EC) No 474/2006, as amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2476 of 8 December 2025.

Thus, the Official Journal of 19 February 2026 published the decision to deny access to the airspace of the Republic of Moldova for aircraft belonging to a number of airlines, particularly from the Russian Federation and other states. The order of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development covers more than 200 air carriers certified by authorities in approximately 20 countries, for which an operating ban or operational restrictions have been imposed.

Among the states whose air carriers are included in the ban list are Russia, Armenia, Afghanistan, Angola, the Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville, Djibouti, Sudan, Iran, North Korea and others.

Most carriers included in the order are subject to a total operating ban both in Moldovan airspace and at airports in the Republic of Moldova. These restrictions are aligned with the EU Community list of air carriers found to have shortcomings in complying with international air safety standards.

The order approved by the Government consists of two separate documents: 1. The list of air carriers subject to an operating ban in the territory of the Republic of Moldova (Annex No. 1). This includes companies whose aircraft may not be operated in Moldovan airspace. 2. The list of air carriers subject to operational restrictions (Annex No. 2). This second category includes companies whose operations are limited, for certain aircraft or types of flights, in the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

According to the document, the measure will apply until the Republic of Moldova accedes to the European Union, by which time the country will have aligned its legislation with European rules on civil aviation safety.

Oversight of the enforcement of the order has been assigned to the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, the institution responsible for monitoring and regulating activities in the field of civil aviation.

At the same time, the order repeals a previous similar act — Order No. 170/2025 of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, on the approval of lists of air carriers subject to operating bans or operational restrictions — which was published in the Official Journal in 2025.

The decision to adopt the lists of air carriers stems from the need to ensure the safety of air traffic in the Republic of Moldova and to align national legislation with the standards established at the level of the European Union. The EU Community list of air carriers subject to a ban is updated periodically by the European Commission, depending on assessments carried out by supervisory authorities in the Member States and in the EU.

On the basis of Regulation (EC) No 474/2006, states that transpose the Community lists into their national legislation prohibit or restrict the operations of companies included in these lists, in order to protect passenger safety and maintain high standards in civil aviation.

Similar lists are routinely applied in EU Member States, where air carriers certified in jurisdictions with non-compliant oversight or with a history of safety deficiencies in their operations may be subject to bans. In some cases, exceptions are possible when aircraft leased from operators that are not under restrictions are used, but only under strict safety and control conditions.

The adoption of this order reflects the commitment of the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to maintain a high level of air safety and to advance in the process of legislative harmonization with the relevant European norms.