The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has returned to Argentina today as part of the final discussions of the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program. The aim is to analyze whether the national aeronautical system is able to maintain the highest operational safety rating, Category 1, granted by the FAA.
Argentina has maintained Category 1 since 2005, but it is currently at risk of descending to Category 2 due to poor management by previous administrations in the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC). The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) evaluated ANAC in 2022, and the results showed a compliance rate of 60.47%, below the regional average.
Following a FAA inspection conducted in April of this year that identified 82 findings to be addressed, the National Government intervened in ANAC and appointed María Julia Cordero as the administrator. A reorganization process was initiated to address the inherited operational issues, and a working team was created focused on correcting the identified deficiencies.
Updated procedural manuals were developed, training sessions for inspectors were coordinated, and a corrective action plan was established in conjunction with ICAO. All these measures allowed for an 85% progress in the corrective action plan in a record time.
The loss of Category 1 would imply reputational damage for Argentine aviation and would limit the ability to add destinations and frequencies on flights to the United States, as well as establish new codeshare agreements. They would also face stricter controls and additional operational costs imposed by U.S. authorities.
Despite the inherited challenges, the current ANAC administration is committed to working swiftly and professionally to regularize the situation and strengthen the operational safety of the Argentine aeronautical system.
