These carriers have been blacklisted as "unsafe" due to complaints filed by several EU countries. It is the fifth update of the list of airlines banned in the European Union.
"This latest update illustrates once more that the black list is a dynamic instrument which the Commission can use whenever necessary, without having to wait for the quarterly reviews," said Jacques Barrot, Commission vice-president in charge of transport.
He said that on the basis of notifications from several member states, the Commission questioned the two carriers - Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines and Mahan Air - and the respective national civil aviation authorities responsible for their supervision.
It also consulted the committee of Member State air safety experts, whose task it is to assist the Commission in such matters and who unanimously approved the bans.
Mahan Air and Ukrainian-Mediterranean Airlines do not run regular services to the EU, but only fly charter flights.
The first blacklist of unreliable air carriers was introduced by the EC in March 2006. Barrot said then that the list was intended to have a warning effect and the commission would introduce updates to it every three months.
While the European Commission has been working on its blacklist, Russia has tried to improve the image of its aircraft, also introducing bans and restrictions on flights by national carriers within the EU.
Two Russian state aviation regulators have suspended the charter and non-regular flights of several Russian air carriers to the European Union. The ruling affected Aero Rent, Tatarstan, Atlant-Soyuz, Aviacon Zitotrans, Centre Avia, Gazpromavia, LUKoil, Russian Sky and UTair air carriers
EC inspections of these carriers in 2004-2006 revealed numerous violations of air traffic and safety regulations that have yet to be rectified.
