FAA cuts India’s airline safety ranking to Category 2

India has had its airline-safety ranking downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration after the South Asian nation failed to find enough officials to ensure safe operation of flights, putting

India has had its airline-safety ranking downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration after the South Asian nation failed to find enough officials to ensure safe operation of flights, putting it on a par in terms of air safety with Zimbabwe and Indonesia.

The FAA cut the grade to Category 2 from Category 1 after a review of India’s aviation regulator revealed that its safety oversight processes don’t meet global standards. The launch of new carriers and billions of dollars in new aircraft orders meant the world’s second-most populous nation couldn’t employ enough people to monitor safety.

The US move could mean heightened surveillance at airports in that country for Indian flights, which could impact airline schedules, said Kapil Kaul, the South Asia head at CAPA Centre for Aviation.

“It might also affect foreign passengers’ perception about Indian safety,” Mr Kaul said.

The FAA move is of “significant interest” to the European Union, though there isn’t any direct link between the EU safety list and the US programme, the European Commission said.

To try and win back a better rating, Indian authorities said they will hire 75 flight operation inspectors and provide training to others. It expects to resolve concerns by March.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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