By Poulomi Saha: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that India meets international standards for aviation safety of Chicago Convention and will continue to retain FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 status.

The thumbs up from the US watchdog comes days after India in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audit in November 2022 had enhanced its global ranking significantly.

READ | Unruly passengers: DGCA issues advisory to airlines, reiterates norms to deal with such incidents

“The FAA has stated that DGCA has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring an effective safety oversight of the aviation system and appreciated the positive manner in which DGCA has worked with them,” a statement by DGCA read.

India’s Category 1 status determination comes at a time when the aviation sector is on a high growth trajectory, with major capacity induction and expansion plans by Indian air carriers.

ALSO READ | Vistara flyer assaults crew, strips mid-air: What went down on Abu Dhabi-Mumbai flight

It is important to note that air carriers of Category 1 countries are permitted to operate and expand their services to destinations in the United States, as well as codeshare with US air carriers.

Moreover, India’s Category 1 determination by the FAA is backed by the recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audit conducted in November 2022, which saw India scoring an Effective Implementation (EI) of 85.65% – a significant improvement from its previous score of 69.95%. This has helped India enhance its global ranking significantly.

“The assessments by both the FAA and the ICAO are testimony to India’s commitment to having effective safety oversight for its civil aviation system,” the statement read.