The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is due to begin a five-day assessment of India’s aviation safety oversight on 16 November, with the review scheduled to run until 20 November. The audit will examine the country’s arrangements for aircraft operations, airworthiness and personnel licensing.
India currently holds Category 1 status under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme. The classification indicates that a country’s oversight of air carriers operating, or seeking to operate, to the US or codeshare with a US carrier complies with safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Scope of the assessment
The assessment will focus on the ability of India’s aviation authorities to apply international safety standards and recommended practices in three main areas:
- Personnel licensing
- Aircraft operations
- Aircraft airworthiness
The review follows a period of heightened attention on aviation safety in India. Air India’s Boeing 787-8 operating to London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad last year, killing 260 people, according to the extracted report. The report also refers to helicopter accidents and other incidents in India this year.
Air India is currently the only Indian carrier operating direct flights to US cities. The outcome of the FAA assessment will therefore be relevant to the regulatory framework supporting the country’s direct air connectivity with the US, as well as to any Indian airline seeking to operate to the American market or enter a codeshare arrangement with a US carrier.
Previous FAA review
India retained Category 1 status following the previous FAA audit. That assessment of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took place from 25 to 29 October 2021 and covered the same broad areas: aircraft operations, airworthiness and personnel licensing.
| Assessment detail | Information reported |
|---|---|
| Reviewing authority | US Federal Aviation Administration |
| Programme | International Aviation Safety Assessment |
| Dates | 16–20 November |
| Main areas | Aircraft operations, airworthiness and personnel licensing |
| Current status | India holds Category 1 |
The 2021 audit was followed by final consultations on 25 and 26 April the following year. The FAA subsequently reviewed India’s oversight in July 2022 and September 2022, with the outcome of that assessment announced in April 2023.
The IASA process assesses a country’s oversight of its air carriers rather than conducting a safety rating of individual airlines. Its review of licensing, operations and airworthiness is based on the country’s adherence to ICAO standards and recommended practices. India’s forthcoming assessment will determine whether its existing Category 1 classification is maintained.
