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India Finalizes Airline Safety Audits Ahead Of Crucial US FAA Inspection
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CNBC TV18•05-10-2026, 14:28
India Finalizes Airline Safety Audits Ahead Of Crucial US FAA Inspection
- •The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is conducting final inspections of all Indian airlines this week ahead of a US Federal Aviation Administration audit scheduled for November 16 to 20.
- •The inspections focus heavily on operational and safety standards, following two previous rounds conducted in August and September that targeted carriers like Air India and Indigo.
- •DGCA is also preparing detailed responses to nearly 200 questions from the FAA with supporting evidence to ensure full compliance before the US regulator arrives.
- •The US FAA conducts its International Aviation Safety Assessment every five years to check if a country complies with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.
- •India currently holds Category 1 status, and any downgrade could impact airline expansion into the US market and lead to heightened scrutiny of existing operations.
Key Questions Answered
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is scheduled to audit India's civil aviation safety between November 16 and 20, 2026.
Ahead of the FAA audit, the DGCA is undertaking final inspections of all Indian airlines to evaluate operational and safety standards, following some serious observations noted in previous rounds.
If the inspection downgrades India's Category 1 status, it could create issues for expansion into the US market and subject existing flight operations to greater scrutiny.
