Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) According to an audit done by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US, India has been found to be fully compliant with international safety standards, the government said Wednesday.
“They (FAA) have taken a view to keep us in Category 1. We are now on a level playing field and things haven been sorted out,” Civil Aviation Secretary M. Madhavan Nambiar told reporters here.

Nambiar was referring to a USFAA assessment that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation sector regulator, was adhering to the safety guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The USFAA assessment was made after it visited DGCA Wednesday to confirm and validate the action taken since the audit in March, when it raised concerns over technical guidance for DGCA personnel, surveillance programmes of air operators and resolution of identified safety issues.

India would now continue to maintain the Category 1 status that it was granted in 1997, which would allow Indian airline operators to fly to the US without any major security check and also increase flight frequency.

“We have been able to meet the ICAO guidelines,” said Director General of Civil Aviation S.N.A. Zaidi.

“We have strengthened our navigation structure, and have also adopted adequate security and safety measures and have also sanctioned over 500 experts, of whom 95 were sent to the US, Singapore and other countries for training.”

Maintaining that DGCA had carried out surveillance of flight operations of domestic and foreign airlines, Zaidi said: “We have taken action in 87 cases against aviation officials and airline operators.”

The government has also approved stringent action, which includes imprisonment and penalty of Rs.1 million, against those violating DGCA norms, he added.