Country Has Made "Significant Progress" In Safety Benchmarks

The FAA said Thursday that Croatia complies with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), based on the results of a reassessment of Croatia's civil aviation authority.

Croatia has made significant progress and is now upgraded from the Category 2 safety rating the country received in September 2008 to Category 1.  A Category 1 rating means the country's civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority - equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters - is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, recordkeeping or inspection procedures.

With the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 2 rating, Croatian air carriers could not establish new service to the United States. Now with the Category 1 rating, Croatian air carriers will be able to establish new service to the United States. As part of the FAA's IASA program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that operate or have applied to fly to the United States 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.

Countries with air carriers that fly to the United States 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.

FMI: www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/iasa/