Mexico: SICT-FAA agree to continue the work for recovery of Category 1

Statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT)

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

SICT and FAA agreed that the speedy recovery of Category 1 is a priority for the governments of Mexico and the United States, in order to guarantee the air safety of more than 30 million passengers.

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to continue with the audit process of the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), through an exercise of technical assistance from next February 6 to 19, so that Mexico is prepared and can recover Category 1 in aviation safety as soon as possible.

This was reported by the head of the SICT, Jorge Nuño Lara, after specifying that among the actions carried out by Mexico, the initiative for a reform of the Civil Aviation Law to strengthen the powers of the AFAC in verification and operational safety stands out; regulatory investigation of accidents and incidents; issuance, suspension, cancellation or revocation of certificates of psychophysical aptitude; in addition to the incorporation of an area of aviation medicine to evaluate technical-aeronautical personnel.

Likewise, he indicated that the AFAC developed a Comprehensive Action Plan to address the final audit phase of the International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA, for its acronym in English).

Said plan, he emphasized, will facilitate the recovery of Category 1 with the implementation of an updated Platform for the Electronic Notification of Differences System of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with the modifications to the Aeronautical legislation. National and the adoption of the new amendments to the ICAO standards.

As well as responding to the 316 FAA IASA audit questions and self-assessment of possible gaps in all areas of the AFAC and compliance with the 39 "findings" detected during the review of the past technique.

The meeting was chaired by Billy Nolen, interim administrator of the FAA and its technical staff.

The heads of the SICT and the FAA agreed that the prompt recovery of Category 1 is a priority for the governments of Mexico and the United States, in order to guarantee the air safety of more than 30 million passengers.

In view of this, he said that they are working with a joint team of technicians and specialists of the highest level in aviation matters, who make the greatest effort, to expedite all the review processes in favor of promptly achieving the recategorization of Mexican aviation.

During the meeting, a collaboration agreement between the FAA and AFAC was proposed to maintain the best standards and practices of air transport regulatory agencies in the future.

The Mexican delegation that attended the high-level meeting that took place in the US capital was also made up of the Undersecretary of Transportation, Rogelio Jiménez Pons; the general director of the AFAC, Miguel Enrique Vallin Osuna; and the Mexican ambassador, Esteban Moctezuma.

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