New Delhi: Nearly 14 months after India’s aviation safety rating was downgraded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation watchdog on Wednesday restored the country’s ranking to Category 1 status. Apart from boosting sentiment — the downgrade meant India ranked lower than Pakistan and was clubbed with countries like Zimbabwe and Paraguay — the upgrade will allow domestic carriers to expand flights to the US.
The US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that India complies with international safety standards and has been granted a Category 1 rating by the regulator. “The United States Government commends the Government of India for taking corrective action to address the safety oversight issues identified during the IASA (International Aviation Safety Assessment) process,” Foxx said in the statement.
The safety downgrade had taken place in January 2014 mainly because India did not have enough flight operations inspectors (FOIs) and airworthiness officers. The immediate impact of the downgrade to Category 2 meant that only existing flights to the US could continue and no expansion could take place. Further, at any point of time Indian flights could face random checks by US authorities.
09/04/15 Financial Express
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The US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that India complies with international safety standards and has been granted a Category 1 rating by the regulator. “The United States Government commends the Government of India for taking corrective action to address the safety oversight issues identified during the IASA (International Aviation Safety Assessment) process,” Foxx said in the statement.
The safety downgrade had taken place in January 2014 mainly because India did not have enough flight operations inspectors (FOIs) and airworthiness officers. The immediate impact of the downgrade to Category 2 meant that only existing flights to the US could continue and no expansion could take place. Further, at any point of time Indian flights could face random checks by US authorities.
09/04/15 Financial Express
