Wed, Mar 29, 2006
Delta, Other Carriers Await Ruling That Will Affect Their
Flights
The US and Venezuelan
authorities are reportedly close to a "permanent solution" to avert
a ban on US airlines from operating in the South American
country.
"My hope is that during this week they will conclude these
consultations that will permit a permanent solution," US Ambassador
William Brownfield said.
As Aero-News reported last
month, Venezuela claims an 11-year-old safety-based
restriction on flights from the country to America has locked
Venezuelan airlines out of the US market. The government originally
banned flights from America on February 24, but later agreed to
delay the ruling by one month so a possible solution could be
reached. That deadline is Thursday.
The Associated Press reports an FAA delegation is in Caracas
this week, to hash out a solution to the ban, as well as to assess
claims by the INAC (Venezuela's National Aviation Institute) that
Venezuela's planes are much safer than they were in 1995.
"The two governments basically have an agreement that the FAA
will conclude its job... as soon as possible and the INAC is going
to suspend the measures against the US air companies," Brownfield
said.
The FAA currently ranks Venezuela as a category 2 carrier, which
prevents Venezuelan airlines from flying their own planes to the
United States. Two Venezuelan airlines operate flights to the US by
using planes and crew leased from American companies.
In its favor, Venezuela says a 2004 audit by the UN
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) found the
country's airlines met 88 percent of recommended aviation safety
standards -- up from 39 percent in 1999.
Whether that will be enough for the FAA to change its mind on
Venezuelan airlines, however, remains to be seen -- and the agency
has said it won't decide to upgrade the safety rating until after
the delegation returns to the US on Thursday.
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