The Government of Mongolia has given the green light to a draft grant agreement that will be signed between the Government of Mongolia, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the Government of the USA, as well as the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
This year, an Air Transport Agreement was signed between Mongolia and the United States, which creates a legal framework for organizing direct air services between the two countries.
The launch of direct flights requires Mongolia to undergo the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA), conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA, as well as a security assessment conducted by the Transportation Security Administration.
As part of the preparation for the launch of direct flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia announced a tender and signed a contract with the American consulting company The Wicks Group Consulting in 2024 to obtain professional assistance in the IASA assessment.
Currently, the civil aviation institutions of Mongolia are implementing the recommendations received as part of the consulting services. Negotiations are underway for funding the second phase of consultations from USTDA to complete the preparation for the IASA assessment.
The grant agreement is expected to be signed soon. This will serve as the legal basis for concluding a consulting services contract between the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia and The Wicks Group Consulting and will initiate active work.
In May 2023, the national carrier MIAT received two 787-9 /DREAMLINER/ aircraft to operate direct flights to the United States.
The International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program was established by the FAA in 1992. Its goal is to assess the ability of civil aviation authorities in different countries to meet international safety standards and recommended practices for the licensing and operation of aircraft.
According to the Chicago Convention, national regulatory authorities must oversee air carriers operating within their territory. These international standards and recommendations are developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is a technical agency of the UN.
History of the IASA Program
Following the crash of Avianca Flight 52 on Long Island, New York, on January 25, 1990, serious questions arose regarding the FAA's oversight of the safety of foreign air carriers operating flights to the USA. In response to a series of articles published in Newsday in December 1990 concerning the poor safety records of several foreign airlines, the FAA established the IASA program in 1992.
IASA Categorization
As a result of the IASA audit, each country is assigned one of two categories:
Category 1 (Complies with ICAO standards): The FAA has determined that the civil aviation authority of the country meets international standards, including the licensing of aviation personnel and oversight of air carriers;
Category 2 (Does not comply with ICAO standards): In this case, the FAA has determined that the civil aviation authority does not meet minimum international safety standards.
Air carriers from countries categorized as Category 2 are allowed to continue operating flights to the USA, but they cannot expand their services or enter into code-sharing agreements with American companies. Such carriers may also be subject to stricter inspections on the tarmac.
