The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted a Category 1 rating to Kenya, which demonstrates that the East African country has satisfied international aviation safety requirements.
Awarded under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme, the Category 1 rating signifies that Kenya’s civil aviation authority complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The rating will allow Kenyan airlines to secure FAA and Department of Transport (DOT) authority to serve the US using American carrier codes.
This Category 1 rating was awarded after a FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Kenya.
The FAA’s IASA programme evaluates civil aviation authorities of every country with air carriers that have applied to fly to the US.
All civil aviation authorities that intend to conduct operations or participate in code sharing arrangements with US partner airlines must also secure approval from the IASA programme.
In order to maintain the Category 1 rating, Kenya needs to adhere to the safety standards of ICAO and the UN’s technical agency for aviation, which set international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.
