Safety oversight in Central American countries is to be boosted by the US Federal Aviation Administration as part of open-skies deals signed on 9 May.
Agreements were signed with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Panama had earlier signed an open-skies agreement with the USA, and negotiations continue with the Dominican Republic, says the US Department of Transportation (DoT).
Under the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment programme, which rates countries' safety-oversight compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, Guatemala has been graded Category 2 (conditional) and cannot expand services to the USA. Honduras and Nicaragua have been graded Category 3 (non-compliant) and currently cannot serve the USA.
The DoT says that the FAA will provide technical assistance to all Category 2 and 3 countries to help them comply with international standards and thus gain access.
Meanwhile, American Airlines has applied to the DoT for approval of a codeshare agreement with the TACA Group of Central American airlines.
Source: Flight International
