The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has again raised concerns regarding the operations and pilot experience at Lion Air (Indonesia). The airline has experienced sizable growth over the past several years. As a result, EASA has cited concerns over the airline’s ability to maintain sufficient operational and training standards, given the scale of this growth. Furthermore, EASA has reportedly noted that the airline’s qualification requirements for new pilots are not as stringent when compared with its Indonesian counterparts. As a result of these concerns, Lion Air remains listed on the EU list of banned carriers.

On the 31st of October 2015, a MetroJet Airbus A321 was operating a charter flight from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (Egypt) to Pulkvo Airport (Russia) and was en route over Northern Sinai (Egypt) when the aircraft was lost from radar. A search was launched for the aircraft and the wreckage was found a short time later. The aircraft was completely destroyed, with the debris field reportedly extending over a 13km area, indicating that the aircraft broke up in flight. All 224 occupants perished in the accident. An investigation into the accident has been launched. Initial speculative reports indicate that the aircraft may have been destroyed by a bomb on board the aircraft. However, it is important to note that these reports remain speculative until a thorough accident investigation can be carried out. As a result, until the preliminary and final reports have been released, the causal factors contributing to the accident may not be wholly identified.

Russia’s federal air transport authority, Rosaviatsia, has banned Egyptair from operating to Russian airports following the recent fatal crash of Metrojet Flight 9268 in Egypt. This decision comes amidst reports of potential security deficiencies at Sharm El Sheikh Airport. As of November 14th, Egyptair is no longer permitted to operate to Russia until the airline could verify that it had sufficient security measures in place. The airline has been ordered to submit a report on its security procedures to Rosaviatsia, which will then make a determination regarding the resumption of operations between Russia and Egypt. The ban is expected to last at least 40 days.