The experts' decision, which includes national flag carrier Garuda, comes after four recent crashes in the Asian archipelago and Indonesian authorities' failure to provide adequate safety assurances, an EU official said.

Although only Garuda currently flies regularly to and from the EU, the ban could also have a big impact on European passengers travelling with Indonesian airlines outside the EU.

Under European rules, passengers must be informed if an airline is on the list of banned carriers and have the right to reimbursement or demand an alternative carrier for tickets bought in Europe for flights that do not enter EU skies.

The ban will become official when the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, endorses the experts' recommendation to ban Indonesian airlines on July 6, in its latest update to the EU's list of unsafe airlines.