The United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reinstated Ukraine to the first category of its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.
"On September 19, 2013, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine received a note from the Embassy of the United States, which states that Ukraine has received the first FAA category. Henceforth, all Ukrainian carriers are allowed to operate flights to the United States without restrictions and conclude agreements on joint operation of airlines with American air carriers,” the State Aviation Service told the Center for Transport Strategies.
According to the State Aviation Service, this decision removes the restrictions not only on the United States market, but also makes easier getting the traffic rights on the Canadian, Australian, and Japanese markets.
At the same time, an informed source in the industry told the Center for Transport Strategies that Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) has filed anapplication for the Kiev-New York route, on which it plans to launch flights at the beginning of the 2014 summer season.
As reported, Ukraine's safety rating was lowered from Category 1 to Category 2 in 2004 after an audit by the FAA determined that Ukraine did not comply with international safety standards. As a result, Ukrainian airline companies lost the right to launch new flights to the United States and increase the number of flights on their existing routes. Aircraft belonging to Ukrainian carriers were subject to additional checks at airports in the United States.
The FAA performed a technical audit of the State Aviation Service in August 2012 and recommended that the Ukrainian aviation authorities address several inconsistencies with American requirements.
