FAA team to visit India soon to review measures by DGCA

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) team would soon visit India for a final review of the steps taken by the DGCA to address the deficiencies in the country's aviation safety, which remains downgraded since January last year.
"We are expecting a Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) team here by the end of the month for a final review of the various measures taken by the DGCA on the aviation safety," official sources said here.
The decision to upgrade the country's aviation safety will be decided after the US regulator's team files its report, which is expected to take place by mid-April, sources said.

Almost all the major areas of concern identified by the FAA on aviation safety issues, like shortage of manpower and a proper filing system at the DGCA have been addressed by the the Indian aviation regulator, the sources said.
"The vacancy of as many as 55 flight operation inspectors have been filled and all the files and the records in the DGCA are now being maintained in a proper manner," they said.
Besides, the checks on airlines are also being carried out.

"While checks on Air India and one private airline have been completed, the exercise on other domestic airlines is also expected to be completed in the coming weeks," the sources added.

The prime reason for the US regulator FAA downgrading India's aviation safety ranking to Category-II was lack of sufficient number of regular flight inspectors which had rendered the DGCA's safety oversight ineffective.
On January 31, last year, the FAA had lowered India's safety ranking to Category-II from Category-I which the country had been holding since 1997.