US FAA raises safety rating for Croatia

US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced (26-Jan-2011) that Croatia has complied with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), based on the results of a reassessment of Croatia's civil aviation authority. Croatia has made significant progress and is now upgraded from the Category 2 safety rating the country received in Sep-2008 to Category 1 according to the FAA. A Category 1 rating means the country's civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards while a Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, recordkeeping or inspection procedures. With the Category 1 rating, Croatian air carriers will now be able to establish new service to the US. [more]