PHNOM PENH - THE European Commission has added Cambodia's Siem Reap Airways to a safety blacklist that bars carriers from flying to the 27-nation bloc, a statement said on Monday.

The executive branch of the European Union issues periodic lists of airlines from around the world that it says do not meet its safety standards and cannot travel to EU countries.

'The commission has imposed an operating ban on the main air carrier from Cambodia, Siem Reap Airways International', the EC said in a statement on its website.

'The airline does not operate in compliance with the Cambodian safety regulations nor does it meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),' it said.

'Significant concerns have also been expressed by ICAO with regard to the ability of the Cambodian civil aviation authorities to implement and enforce the international safety standards', said the commission.

Siem Reap Airways and Cambodian aviation officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Siem Ream Airways is a subsidiary of Bangkok Airways International.

It is licensed by the Cambodian government to operate domestic services between Phnom Penh and the tourist hub Siem Reap - gateway to the Angkor Wat temples - but does not operate directly to Europe.