T&T retains its Category One status from the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA). And director general of the T&T Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) Ramesh Lutchmedial said the major challenge is for the country to sustain the standards that have been achieved.
In July, the FAA conducted an audit of the TTCAA which, Lutchmedial said, was necessary as a result of the expansion of Caribbean Airlines' operations and its takeover of routes into the US? formerly operated by Air Jamaica. Several deficiencies were found during the FAA's assessment, but four months later they were "adequately addressed."
Manager of the International Programmes and Policy Division, FAA, John Barbagallo wrote to Lutchmedial on December 12 confirming that the TTCAA had successfully completed the International Aviation Safety Assessment, meriting Category One status. The letter stated, "On November 8, 2012, the FAA met with TTCAA and confirmed that all deficiencies were adequately addressed.
"Specifically, the TTCAA has been found by the FAA to license and oversee air carriers in accordance with aviation-safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation." Yesterday, Lutchmedial said the TTCAA continued to be a successs story and a centre of excellence for aviation in the Caribbean,.
CAL can now expand its operations into the US and exploit routes afforded by the recently signed Open Skies Air Service Agreement between the governments of T&T and the US, Lutchmedial said. One of the major deficiencies, he said, was the insufficient number of flight-operations inspectors, which has since been increased from one to four.
He said the TTCAA was asked to prescribe additional guidance material for the certification of the CAL Boeing 767 aircraft to fly to London.
