Kyrgyzstan Removed from EU Aviation Blacklist After 20-Year Ban

Kyrgyzstan has been removed from the European Union's aviation blacklist. The country was placed on it in 2006; reforms initiated in 2023 enabled its removal in June 2026. This was announced by Daniyar Bostonov, director of the State Civil Aviation Agency, during a lecture for students at the Kyrgyz Aviation Institute named after I. Abdraimeov as part of the "Ochuk Kabinet" project.

According to Bostonov, removing the country from the blacklist required restructuring the oversight system, upgrading inspector qualifications, and implementing new mechanisms that meet international standards. "We started work in 2023, brought in young specialists, sent inspectors for training in Europe, implemented new mechanisms and documentation. They worked day and night, underwent audits," Kabar quotes him as saying.

A final audit was conducted in 2025, and in 2026 Kyrgyzstan defended its position before the EU Transport Committee. Following this, the country was removed from the list.

The agency director named the restoration of the country's international reputation as the main achievement. According to him, being on the blacklist had negatively impacted investment attraction in the aviation sector, aircraft procurement, and its overall development. Bostonov also noted that removal from the list is already having a positive effect on the employment prospects of Kyrgyz Aviation Institute graduates in the international job market: they have begun finding work with foreign airlines.

Work to maintain compliance with international standards and improve the oversight system will continue, he said.