Indian carriers may retain special US security status

NEW DELHI: Indian carriers may continue to enjoy the security comforts while flying to the US destinations as the country is likely to retain category-I status. India has met almost all safety-related norms specified by the American aviation regulator, an official in the civil aviation ministry said requesting anonymity.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in its assessment of the country���s aviation safety environment had found many loopholes in areas such as airworthiness, surveillance of flight operation, technical staff shortage and cabin safety. Failing to meet FAA-specified requirements had put the country at risk of being downgraded by the US regulator to Category-II status. A downgrade by FAA bars domestic carriers flying to the US under scanner. It also makes it difficult for any new carrier to start flights to the US.

Civil aviation secretary M Madhavan Nambiar met FAA officials last week and explained them the measures taken to take the country���s safety standards to global level. He also shared the country���s positive response to the deficiencies found out by the FAA in March 2009.

���The ministry along with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken all the steps to fulfil the necessary requirements in the areas of flight inspection, surveillance and air safety among others. We would take further measures to strengthen the oversight mechanism,��� a government official, who did not wish to be identified, said.

A FAA team is expected to visit country on August 10 and make an assessment of progress made on various air safety standards. As per the original schedule, the US aviation regulating officials were to do the assessment this month itself but on India���s request it deferred it by nearly a month. In its finding in March FAA had identified 15 deficiencies related to safety, security, manpower shortage and regulatory framework.

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had earlier found about 70 shortcomings in the domestic aviation sector. Against a target to meeting all the 70 requirements by December 2008 India could fix only 39 by then.
���The FAA���s main concern was manpower shortage. We are in the process of getting 50 technical personnel from industry on secondment in various areas such as flight inspection, aerodromes, air navigation and dangerous goods,��� the official said.

The government has gave its nod to create 427 technical post in DGCA besides reviving of 132 lapsed posts. The Indian aviation regulator had to shut down many of its directorates across the country on account of technical manpower shortage.

The aviation ministry officials are hopeful of being retention of its status and expects a formal communication from FAA by the second week of August.