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 has grown by 36 percent, while Indian airlines have registered a 19-percent increase in international traffic. “Near-term safety risks are being compromised as traffic increases at a dramatic rate,” concluded CAPA. “The long-term institutional strengthening of the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), should be the highest priority.”
