The aviation safety regulator of the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration, has retained the “Category 1” status for India’s aviation safety oversight following a review, it informed the country’s watchdog on Wednesday.
The International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme of the FAA determines whether a country’s oversight of its airlines that operate or wish to operate to the U.S. or enter into codeshare partnerships with U.S. carriers comply with safety standards established by the UN aviation watchdog, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“The FAA has informed the DGCA [Directorate General of Civil Aviation] that India meets the international standards for aviation safety oversight of the Chicago Convention and its Annexes and continues to retain FAA IASA Category 1 status which was last assessed in July 2018,” the Indian regulator said in a statement. It also added that the FAA has stated that the DGCA has “demonstrated a commitment towards ensuring an effective safety oversight of India’s aviation system and appreciated the positive manner in which DGCA has worked with them”.
“The assessment by the ICAO as well as the FAA is a testimony to India’s commitment of having an effective safety oversight for its civil aviation system,” the DGCA statement said.
The IASA program focuses on three broad areas, which include personnel licensing, operation of aircraft and airworthiness of aircraft.
The FAA conducted the IASA program over a one-year period which included physical audits from October 25 to October 29, 2021 and a further review in July and September 2022.
In the recent ICAO audit conducted in November last year, India scored an Effective Implementation (EI) of 85.65% from the previous EI of 69.95%.
Published - April 13, 2023 02:42 am IST
