Mumbai: Over a year after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded India's aviation sector due to safety concerns, the country is finally expected to regain its Class-I category rating by April-end. The FAA team, which was in Delhi for a final review on Monday and Tuesday, will file its report by April 10 and the rating would be restored in a couple of weeks.
In January last year, the FAA had downgraded India to Class-II category, bringing it on a par with Ghana and Bangladesh. It meant that Indian carriers like Air India and Jet Airways could not add more flights to the US and their existent operations to that country came under increased scrutiny. "Following the review and consultations, the FAA team has in principle agreed to upgrade India to Class-I status," said a source.
Among the deficiencies pointed out by FAA, following audits, were severe manpower shortages in the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), India's aviation safety regulator. For instance: India's regulator did not have personnel with technical knowledge to carry out inspections on certain types of aircraft currently operating in the country.
01/04/15 Manju V/Times of India
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In January last year, the FAA had downgraded India to Class-II category, bringing it on a par with Ghana and Bangladesh. It meant that Indian carriers like Air India and Jet Airways could not add more flights to the US and their existent operations to that country came under increased scrutiny. "Following the review and consultations, the FAA team has in principle agreed to upgrade India to Class-I status," said a source.
Among the deficiencies pointed out by FAA, following audits, were severe manpower shortages in the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), India's aviation safety regulator. For instance: India's regulator did not have personnel with technical knowledge to carry out inspections on certain types of aircraft currently operating in the country.
01/04/15 Manju V/Times of India
