India Risks FAA Safety Downgrade, Says CAPA
AIN AIR TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE » JULY 30, 2012 by NEELAM MATHEWS Indian airlines would lose opportunities to expand services to and from the U.S. if the FAA downgrades the country's safety rating. July 30, 2012, 3:48 PM As the November deadline approaches for the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) to assess the Indian government’s record in managing aviation, gaps in the country’s safety regulations could lead the FAA to downgrade India to Category 2 status, according to a report issued recently by the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation ( CAPA ). Under Category 2, Indian carriers could not start new service to the U.S. Its current Category 1 status allows its carriers to operate to the U.S and take part in reciprocal code-share arrangements with U.S airlines. India also enjoys an open-skies agreement with the U.S. In just the last two years, Indian domestic airline traffic ha...