Turkmenistan Airlines: The airline's routes to and from the UK have been suspended When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. Turkmenistan Airlines routes to the UK have been suspended to the UK in a decision enacted with immediate effect. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has taken away the firm’s right to operate across the European Union, including from terminals in Birmingham and London’s Heathrow. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority told how its chartered routes from the UK hubs to destinations including Amritsar, Bangkok, Beijing and Delhi, via Asghabat, would now not run. Where does that leave tourists and what advice has been given? MAPPED: The hardest countries to travel to in the WORLD revealed What is the situation with Turkmenistan Airlines? Turkmenistan Airlines is the flag carrier and only airline of Turkmenistan, headquartered in Ashgabat. The company’s flights to the European Union were suspended on February 4, by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in the grounds of international air safety. Shortly after its decision, the Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement advising passengers of the huge range and said: “Following the decision on 4 February 2018, by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to suspend permission for Turkmenistan Airlines to operate services to the European Union, Turkmenistan Airline flights from Birmingham and Heathrow to Amritsar, and Heathrow to New Delhi – which fly via Ashgabat – are suspended with immediate effect. “The UK Civil Aviation Authority is required under European law to withdraw Turkmenistan Airlines’ permit to operate to the UK pending EASA's restoration of their approval that it meets international air safety standards.” It remains possible the firm can re-gain its license to fly at some point in the future.<doc-sep>Latest news email updates straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice A major air route between Birmingham and India has been abruptly cancelled after the carrier was placed on a European blacklist. Turkmenistan Airlines, a leading budget airline, has been banned from flying to or from the EU on safety grounds, according to the Foreign Office. Thousands of travellers are thought to face disruption, with flight T5 417 from Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat having been due to land at Birmingham Airport at 5.40pm today, Monday, February 4. The airport listed the flight as cancelled on its website with passengers, among the airline’s near two million customers a year, advised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to seek alternative flights home. A message on the Home Office’s website read: “The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended Turkmenistan Airlines flights to and from the EU pending confirmation that it meets international air safety standards; this means that Turkmenistan Airlines flights between the UK (London Heathrow and Birmingham) and Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), do not have permission to travel to and from the UK; affected passengers are advised to contact Turkmenistan Airlines to seek advice.” The airline operated five flights a week from Birmingham to Ashgabat, along with three in the opposite direction, and a weekly departure from Heathrow. Up to 5,000 British passengers are in India with bookings to fly home on the airline, according to The Independent. The airline describes itself as the national carrier of Turkmenistan on its website. Almost all of its passengers stopped off in the central Asian country before travelling onwards to Amritsar, Bangkok, Beijing and Delhi. On the CAA’s website a formal notice was posted concerning the suspension effective from February 4, 2019. The message stated that the airline was not covered by the CAA’s ATOL protection scheme and gave further details on obtaining refunds. It read: “If you booked directly with Turkmenistan Airlines and paid by credit card you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and should contact your card issuer for further information. Similarly, if you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer for advice as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules.” A CAA spokesman said: "Following the decision on 4 February 2018, by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to suspend permission for Turkmenistan Airlines to operate services to the European Union, Turkmenistan Airline flights from Birmingham and Heathrow to Amritsar, and Heathrow to New Delhi – which fly via Ashgabat – are suspended with immediate effect. "The UK Civil Aviation Authority is required under European law to withdraw Turkmenistan Airlines’ permit to operate to the UK pending EASA's restoration of their approval that it meets international air safety standards." The British Sikh community have used the route to connect to journeys to Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, and to Delhi, the Indian capital. The airline was set up in 1992 after the collapse of the USSR and has never suffered a fatal accident. The direct service from Birmingham to Ashgabat was operated by a Boeing 737-700/800 or 757-200. The airline transports nearly two million passengers annually on domestic and international routes. Birmingham Live has contacted the airline for comment. An Airport spokesperson said: “We’re aware of this issue and await an update from the airline regarding this weeks’ schedule. "Concerned passengers should visit https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Resolving-travel-problems/Travel-company-problems/airline-suspensions/ where advice is provided.”<doc-sep>
T housands of passengers have been left stranded after a budget airline with routes between the UK and India was blacklised for safety reasons. Turkmenistan Airlines, which has been banned by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), flies from Heathrow and Birmingham to Delhi and Amritsar via Ashgabat. A notice from the Foreign Office to travellers from India says the airline has been banned to or from the EU pending confirmation that it meets international safety standards. A UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said: "Following the decision on February 4, by EASA to suspend permission for Turkmenistan Airlines to operate services to the European Union, Turkmenistan Airline flights from Birmingham and Heathrow to Amritsar, and Heathrow to New Delhi - which fly via Ashgabat - are suspended with immediate effect. "The UK Civil Aviation Authority is required under European law to withdraw Turkmenistan Airlines' permit to operate to the UK pending EASA's restoration of their approval that it meets international air safety standards." The airline operates five flights a week from Birmingham and one flight from London Heathrow to Ashgabat. The majority of passengers flying from Britain take connecting flights to India. The Foreign Office said: "Turkmenistan Airlines flights between the UK (London Heathrow and Birmingham) and Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), do not have permission to travel to and from the UK. "Affected passengers are advised to contact Turkmenistan Airlines to seek advice." Turkmenistan Airlines is popular among Britain's Sikh population, with connections to Amritsar, location of the Golden Temple. Flights linking Ashgabat with Frankfurt and Paris have also been grounded. A spokesman for CAA said that passengers who booked directly with Turkmenistan Airlines with a credit card "may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974" and said customers should contact their card issuers for further information. He added: "Similarly, if you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer for advice as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules. "If you purchased travel insurance that may include cover for scheduled airline failure, known as SAFI, you should contact your insurer.