Vinny Lepera, Vice-President Technical Services, Connie Hunter, Senior Advisor, Katya Grimes, Partner and Executive VP, and Roncevert Almond, Partner, of The Wicks Group (TWG) participated in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards Service Meeting, April 7-8, 2015, in Tyson Corner, Virginia. The FAA Flight Standards Service hosted government and industry representatives from the Africa/Middle East/Russia/Central Asia (AMERCA) regions.
The AMERCA meeting provided a unique opportunity to share information on FAA best practices in the safety oversight of operations and continuing airworthiness with civil aviation authorities in the regions. Continuing a tradition of other FAA international outreach activities, this meeting offered a forum for aviation safety leaders to delve more deeply into the FAA Flight Standards Service activities, as well as receive information on safety oversight topics key to the Region.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta provided the opening address following an introduction from Margaret “Peggy” Gilligan, FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety. Nancy Graham, Former Director of the Air Navigation Bureau at the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) provided keynote remarks. John Barbagallo, the Manager of International Programs and Policy in the FAA Flight Standards Division, then chaired the proceedings.
The two-day meeting was open to foreign civil aviation authorities (CAA) and industry. During the second session TWG and other industry delegates collaborated with CAA representatives from the region. Discussions focused on topics related to air carrier operations and continuing airworthiness activities involved between the U.S. and the region. TWG delegates also contributed to the dialogue on achieving sustainability of ongoing compliance with ICAO standards.
TWG is the world’s leading provider of technical assistance to foreign countries in achieving compliance with ICAO standards, particularly in relation to the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment program. Under the IASA program, the FAA determines whether another country’s oversight of its air carriers that operate, or seek to operate, into the U.S., or codeshare with a U.S. air carrier, complies with ICAO standards. As such, the IASA program is a significant gateway for bilateral aviation relations and commerce between the United States and foreign countries.
The AMERCA meeting coincided with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx’s announcement that India had been granted a Category 1 rating under the FAA’s IASA program. TWG's partnership with India was critical to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s ability to achieve compliance with international safety standards pursuant to funding from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
For more information about The Wicks Group’s IASA-related services, please contact Glenn Wicks at (202) 457-7790 (Office) or gpwicks@wicks-group.com.