FAA Grants Indonesia Category 1 Airline Safety Rating

Revised Rating Allows Indonesian Air Carriers To Establish Service To The United States and Carry the Code of U.S. Carriers.

The United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced 15 August 2016 that Indonesia complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and has been granted a Category 1 rating.

According to the announcement the FAA first assessed Indonesia's civil aviation authority in September 1997 and found it in compliance with ICAO standards. However, the agency later lowered the rating from Category 1 to Category 2 in April 2007. While under a Category 2 rating, the country either lacked laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority – a body equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters – was deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures, according to the FAA.

The Category 1 status newly announced is based on a March 2016 FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The US regulator says a Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. With the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating, Indonesian air carriers that are able to secure the requisite FAA and DOT authority can establish service to the United States and carry the code of U.S. carriers.

As part of the FAA’s IASA program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to fly to the United States, currently conduct operations to the United States, or participate in code sharing arrangements with U.S. partner airlines, and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations.

According to the FAA, in order to maintain a Category 1 rating, a country must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

Source: FAA