March 28, 2006
FAA delegation in Venezuela

(El Universal) - "A commission composed of five representatives of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) met with Francisco Paz Fleitas, the head of the Venezuelan National Civil Aeronautic Institute (INAC,) to review the structure of the organization and analyze the audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO.)

Mike Daniel, the manager of FAA International Programs, Procedures and Regulations Division, explained that the purpose of the visit to Venezuela was to confirm the progress made in civil aeronautic since 1995, when FAA downgraded Venezuela to Category 2.

'The INAC president made a superb work by establishing the mission, the vision of INAC, in addition to Venezuelan air surveillance system. And to the people's benefit, our organization joined efforts to ensure the highest standards of air security for this nation.'

The FAA mission clarified that the final decision on any upgrade of Venezuela 's certification will be made in Washington . 'Part of the team will make work reports, which will be sent to Washington for a final summary.'

They plan to go to Maiquetía international airport to check streamlining. Also, they will review the operations of any Venezuelan airline flying to the United States in order to prove the appropriate use of flight licenses, crew and other safety standards.

'We will review and work based on ICAO standards, Appendices 1, 6 and 8, containing recommendations for operators and civilian authorities. Additionally, we will review critical issues in terms of air safety, including INAC structure, rules and regulations, training and monitoring of the inspectors' staff who supervise airlines and operators in Venezuela', said Daniel".