The European Union has removed Kyrgyzstan from its “blacklist” of air carriers that are banned from operating flights to EU countries.

The announcement was made in a notice from the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, as cited on the official website of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, The Caspian Post reports.

According to the notice, the decision was taken by the Aviation Safety Committee following a meeting held from May 19 to May 21. It is expected to be formally adopted through a separate European Commission regulation.

Kyrgyzstan had been subject to these restrictions since 2006. In recent years, under the direction of President Sadyr Japarov, the country has carried out extensive civil aviation reforms, including strengthening state oversight of flight safety and aligning national standards with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements.

The European Commission highlighted significant progress, pointing to the outcomes of technical consultations, an expert visit conducted in March, and successful hearings held in Brussels. The EU also expressed its willingness to continue cooperation to ensure that Kyrgyzstan consolidates these improvements.