02 February,2009 08:19 AM IST | | Aditya Anand
A February 22 audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will tell us if our airlines and airports meet international air safety norms. And if they don't, airlines like Air India, Jet and Kingfisher because they fly to the USA may be heavily fined after stringent checks by international aviation agencies.
During the last ICAO safety audit, India scored 2 on 10 for technical personnel qualification and training and 4 on 10 for air safety. Both scores were below the international average. Confirming this, Naseem Zaidi, director general of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said, "We are taking all steps to conform to ICAO norms. Consequently, we have issued draft circulars to appoint more officers from airlines and airport operators to work for DGCA."
The audit will start from Delhi and Mumbai airports and move to other airports later. ICAO sources informed that failing the audit would invoke a downgraded status. "This would mean that neither Air India nor Jet Airways would be able to effect changes in their US schedules nor would they be able to increase services," an Air India official said.u00a0
A downgrade would mean that new airlines planning to start services to the US would be denied permission.
