New Delhi: In a dampener for India’s aviation sector, the country might have to wait a bit longer for an upgrade of its air safety rating by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Business Standard has learnt from official sources.
The main reason is that our regulator, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has been able to appoint only about 45 Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs), despite the Union Cabinet approving appointments of 75 FOIs at market-linked salaries over a year earlier.
Aviation ministry officials now expect an upgrade only around April, the second such delay. This is also subject to a visit by an FAA team in end-March and their being satisfied. After a visit by an FAA team in December, the ministry said it was confident of an upgrade by January, during US President Barack Obama's visit. It had then revised this to March.
“Right now, the US consultant, The Wicks Group, is working hard with the DGCA team to complete all formalities before the FAA team visit next month. When the team visited in December, it had found two deficiencies. Inadequate number of FOIs was the main problem,” a ministry official said.
11/02/15 Business Standard
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The main reason is that our regulator, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has been able to appoint only about 45 Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs), despite the Union Cabinet approving appointments of 75 FOIs at market-linked salaries over a year earlier.
Aviation ministry officials now expect an upgrade only around April, the second such delay. This is also subject to a visit by an FAA team in end-March and their being satisfied. After a visit by an FAA team in December, the ministry said it was confident of an upgrade by January, during US President Barack Obama's visit. It had then revised this to March.
“Right now, the US consultant, The Wicks Group, is working hard with the DGCA team to complete all formalities before the FAA team visit next month. When the team visited in December, it had found two deficiencies. Inadequate number of FOIs was the main problem,” a ministry official said.
11/02/15 Business Standard
