India has been awarded the ICAO Council President Certificate for progress in aviation safety oversight. The recognition was presented at the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal, Canada. DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai received the certificate on behalf of India.
The award acknowledged India’s improvements in implementing International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices. It is part of the ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative, granted to nations demonstrating significant progress in aviation safety oversight. ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano presented the certificate.
India’s Effective Implementation (EI) score jumped to 85.65% in the 2022 ICAO audit, up from 69.95% in 2018. This improvement placed India among the world’s top 50 countries in aviation safety oversight for the first time, moving up from 102nd in 2018. India now ranks higher than countries such as China, Israel, Turkey, Denmark, and Poland.
The enhanced safety ranking is expected to benefit Indian carriers expanding internationally. Airlines like Air India (Tata Group) and IndiGo can now face fewer inspections abroad. In contrast, carriers from countries with weaker safety records often undergo surprise checks at foreign airports, affecting operations and schedules.
