Kazakhstan airlines may be out of EU blacklist by November 2013

Kazakhstan airlines maybe out of the blacklist in November 2013, Tengrinews.kz reports citing deputy chairman of the Civil Aviation Commission Serik Mukhtybayev. "We plan to invite ICAO auditors this year to evaluate the level of the required measures that we are introducing now. The last audit was made in 2009. The hearings on the blacklists are held in the EU twice a year. Our plan is that the hearing on Kazakhstan will take place in November after the ICAO audit and the decision will be made on the restrictions. We hope for a positive decision. This will let Air Astana and other airlines start flying to Europe with a wider geography," Mukhtybayev said. According to him, Kazakhstan is now doing a recertification of airlines and aircrafts in line with ICAO requirements. "A group of ICAO experts is currently working with the Kazakhstan Ministry of Transport and Communications. They are helping us bring all the regulatory documents in line with their requirements," Mukhtybayev added. By Altynai Zhumzhumina