The BBC reports that unsafe airlines, even those banned from flying to member countries, have their identities concealed from the public.

Five airlines which have such poor safety records they have been banned in at least one country are having their identities kept secret in an information black hole.


Passengers boarding the Flash plane did not know Swiss record
Flash Airlines, whose plane crashed in Egypt on Saturday, was only one of six airlines whose safety standards were considered so poor they were banned or restricted in a European country in 2002.



But 133 French passengers boarded the doomed jet unaware that it had failed a Swiss safety test and remained banned from Swiss airspace.



And future passengers who want to know the names of the five other banned airlines face a seemingly impossible task, even though these names are not officially secret.

Each individual country within the EU has discretion in releasing EU safety data, but none do. Switzerland cites business confidentiality laws. IATA lobbies against disclosure.

If anyone knows more about the subject, and in particular why other countries fail to disclose major safety decisions, please let me know.