news desk – The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will audit India's aviation safety oversight standards from November 16 to 20. During this period, the security monitoring capability of Indian aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation i.e. DGCA will be examined. During the audit, there will be special focus on aircraft operation, airworthiness of aircraft and the process of licensing aviation employees including pilots.
According to an official, the FAA team will conduct this audit under its International Aviation Safety Assessment i.e. IASA program. The purpose of this investigation is to see whether India is monitoring the security of its aviation companies as per international standards or not.
The FAA, under its IASA program, inspects the aviation safety standards of countries whose airlines fly to the United States or intend to begin flying to the United States. Apart from this, foreign airlines providing codeshare service with American airlines also come under its purview.
In this investigation, it is seen whether the aviation regulator of the concerned country is following the safety standards and procedures set by the International Civil Aviation Organization i.e. ICAO. It mainly examines aspects related to aircraft operations, airworthiness and personal licensing. Aircraft operations includes compliance with safety regulations related to aircraft operations, airworthiness and technical safety of aircraft, and personal licensing, the process of licensing pilots and other aviation personnel.
India currently holds Category-1 status in the FAA's Aviation Safety Assessment Program. This status indicates that the country's aviation regulator is capable of monitoring airlines in accordance with international safety standards. Currently, Air India is the only Indian airline that operates direct flights to US cities. In such a situation, this audit of FAA is considered important for India's aviation safety monitoring system.
The FAA has earlier also investigated India's aviation safety surveillance system. The audit of DGCA was conducted between 25 and 29 October 2021 under the IASA programme. In this, aspects related to aircraft operation, airworthiness and licensing of employees were examined. This was followed by final consultations in April 2022 and a review by the FAA in July and September 2022. The results of these audits were announced in April 2023. India had retained its Category-1 status during this period.
India has not always enjoyed Category-1 status. In January 2014, FAA had put India in Category-2. Earlier in December 2012, ICAO had audited DGCA, in which two serious safety issues related to aircraft operation and airworthiness were revealed. The FAA subsequently audited DGCA's safety oversight capacity in September 2013, and a follow-up investigation was conducted in December 2013. In January 2014, India was put in Category-2. However, DGCA made necessary reforms and India again got Category-1 status in 2015.
Questions were also raised on India's aviation security system after the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last year. The Boeing 787-8 plane, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. 260 people died in this accident.
Apart from this, many other incidents including helicopter accidents have also come to light in the aviation sector this year. In such a situation, the audit of FAA to be held from 16 to 20 November is considered important to assess the current status of India's aviation safety surveillance system.