New Delhi: A team from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has arrived on India to conduct an audit of the country’ aviation safety oversight standards, mainly covering the areas of aircraft operations, airworthiness and personnel licensing.
The process will take place from November 16 to 20, an official said.
India, one of the world’s fastest growing civil aviation markets, currently has Category 1 status under FAA’s aviation safety assessment programme.
Under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme, the FAA 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).
The IASA programme focuses on a country’s ability to adhere to international aviation safety standards and recommended practices with respect to personnel licensing, operation of aircraft and airworthiness of aircraft of ICAO, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Air India is the only Indian carrier to operate direct flights to US cities at the moment.
In the previous FAA audit, India retained the Category 1 status. This status is a key approval for the country’s aviation safety oversight standards.
The FAA conducted an audit of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) from October 25 to 29, 2021, under the IASA programme, in the areas of aircraft operations, airworthiness and personnel licensing. The assessment was followed by final consultations.
Subsequently, there was a review by the FAA in July 2022 and September 2022. The outcome of the audit was announced in April 2023.
The country witnessed one of its worst aircraft accidents in 2025 after an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft enroute to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
In January 2014, FAA had downgraded India to Category 2 status. The status was restored to Category 1 after necessary corrective measures were taken.
ICAO conducted an audit of DGCA in December 2012 wherein two Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) in the areas of operations and airworthiness were raised.
The SSCs were resolved and validated by ICAO in August 2013. Based on the identification of the SSCs, the FAA raised concerns on the safety oversight capability of DGCA and audited the regulator under the IASA in September 2013. There was a follow up in December 2013 before downgrading India to Category 2 status in January 2014.
