The U.S. government has officially placed sanctions on two Middle Eastern operators for supplying Iranian airline, Mahan Air, with aircraft equipment and parts. Iraqi operator Al Naser Airlines and Dubai-based lessor Sky Blue Bird Aviation have both had Temporary Denial Orders placed on them by the U.S. Department of Commerce. This move prohibits these operators, and their clients, from participating in exports and re-exports from the United States. This ban stems from the restrictions that were placed on Mahan Air by the U.S. after it had been allegedly identified as assisting in the transportation of illicit cargo to Syria during the 2012/2013 civil conflict.

On the 22nd of May 2015, Lithuanian-based airline, Air Lituanica, officially suspended operations. The small European regional airline had commenced operations in June 2013 with a single Embraer E-170 aircraft and had gradually worked to acquire a fleet of four Embraer E-jets. The airline did not specifically state the reason for its suspension of operations. The airline was formerly the only domicile airline to operate regular scheduled passenger operations out of Lithuania, consequently leaving the country without a flag carrier.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has officially launched its new conflict zone risk information repository, which will allow governments, organisations and the general public to review potential hazards that may exist over conflict zones. The prototype repository was launched on the 10th of April 2015 and was established in response to Member-State recommendations from ICAO’s High-level Safety Conference, which was held in February 2015. The repository can be accessed via ICAO’s website and allows users to access up-to-date information on risks to civil aviation in regions of armed conflict.