India-U.S. Aviation Safety Agreement To Be Signed Soon

Regulatory/Legislative

Aviation Daily Oct 22 , 2010 , p. 16

Neelam Mathews

The governments of India and the U.S. are moving toward entering a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) that would eventually lead to mutual acceptance of aeronautical products and parts developed in either country. With aeronautical products now being designed and manufactured in India, it was determined that there was a need for international acceptance of such products. Before the completion of all preparatory work leading to the signatures, two important activities toward achieving BASA have recently been completed. They include technical assessment of the regulatory authority Directorate General of Civil Aviation by FAA in 11 defined areas and a shadow certification project carried out by the DGCA and reviewed by the FAA. Steps involved in the BASA process include upgrading skills of Indian DGCA certification experts by providing advanced training in certification procedures and oversight of design and production activities. The assessment of Indian authorities and industry capabilities to undertake certification and production work on a sustained basis to meet the FAA Standards is also an essential. Progress on the U.S.-India BASA had been moving well, Dorothy Reimold, FAA acting assistant administrator for international affairs, said in March. Safety agreements with the U.S. are in place with Australia, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. The FAA team has carried out a review of a “shadow certification” project (development of a four-seat general aviation life raft by Goodrich) for two days and says it was satisfied with the review. The DGCA has already awarded Indian Technical Standard Order Authorization to Goodrich. This will become a model for entities involved in the bilateral arrangement, Reimold had said. A six-member FAA team visited DGCA headquarters in New Delhi to conduct a review of DGCA aircraft certification systems, as well as carry out the technical assessment. It observed that “the DGCA has a very sound aircraft certification system in place commensurate with the rules, regulations, working procedures.” FAA will now send a final assessment report to DGCA and the process will start on exchange of documents for signing an executive agreement.