- The US FAA will review India's aviation safety oversight from November 16 to 20
- The audit will assess aircraft operations, airworthiness, and personnel licensing
- India aims to retain its top-tier Category 1 safety rating under the FAA program
The US Federal Aviation Administration will review India's aviation safety oversight framework from November 16-20, with the five-day assessment focusing on aircraft operations, airworthiness and personnel licensing.
The audit assumes significance as India seeks to retain its top-tier safety rating under the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment programme, even as its rapidly expanding aviation industry places greater demands on regulatory oversight.
Under the IASA framework, the FAA examines whether a country's aviation regulator has the institutional capacity to enforce international safety norms for airlines operating to the US or partnering with American carriers through codeshare agreements. The evaluation measures compliance with safety standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, with the upcoming review assessing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's regulatory effectiveness and its ability to maintain those standards.
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India currently holds Category 1 status, the highest rating under the FAA assessment framework. Air India is presently the only Indian airline operating direct flights to US cities.
India's last IASA review began with an FAA inspection of the DGCA in October 2021, followed by consultations in April 2022 and further assessments in July and September. The findings were made public in April 2023, when the US regulator confirmed that India had retained its Category 1 classification.
The latest assessment assumes significance amid heightened attention on aviation safety following a series of aircraft-related incidents. Last year, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. Several helicopter accidents and other aviation-related incidents have also been reported this year.
India's Category 1 status was restored in 2015 after the FAA downgraded the country to Category 2 in January 2014 over concerns about the DGCA's safety oversight capabilities. The concerns followed an ICAO audit in December 2012, which identified two Significant Safety Concerns in the areas of aircraft operations and airworthiness.
Despite ICAO confirming that the deficiencies had been addressed in August 2013, the FAA carried out a separate evaluation and subsequently placed India in Category 2. India regained the highest safety classification in 2015 after the DGCA implemented the corrective measures required by the US regulator.
(With PTI inputs)
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