India aviation in category 1 of safety audit

India has retained its Category 1 status in the International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme (IASA) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA.

India has retained its Category 1 status in the International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme (IASA) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA.

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Before permitting a foreign airline to operate in the USA, FAA, backed by the US legislation, conducts an audit of the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)/ Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure its capability for providing safety certification and continuing oversight on its international carriers.

During as assessment in March 2009 FAA had raised certain concerns. Non-action could have resulted in India being downgraded to Category 2 from the Category 1, which has been held by India since 1997. The FAA IASA team revisited DGCA in September 2009.

The FAA visited DGCA office on Thursday. During the discussions, the FAA flagged four areas for consultation. DGCA, in its presentation, covered all the areas in detail and presented evidence in support. FAA was also informed about the additional initiatives taken by it.