India retains Category I status under FAA’s int’l aviation safety programme

India has retained the Category I status under the Federal Aviation Administration’s international aviation safety programme, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Wednesday.

FAA under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme determines whether a country’s oversight of its air carriers that operate or seek to operate, into the US or codeshare with a US air carrier complies with safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In a statement, the DGCA said that based on the positive outcomes of the assessment and follow-ups, India continues to retain FAA IASA Category 1 status, which was last assessed in July 2018.

“FAA has stated that DGCA has demonstrated a commitment towards ensuring an effective safety oversight of India’s aviation system and appreciated the positive manner in which DGCA has worked with them,” the statement said.

“Air carriers of Category 1 countries are permitted to operate/ expand their services to destinations in the US and codeshare with US air carriers,” it added.