Charles Langston:FAA restores Mexico aviation to highest safety rating

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Charles LangstonUnited States Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday returned Mexico’s aviation safety rating to the highest level two years after downgrading it.

The change will allow Mexican airlines to add new routes to the United States, and U.S. airlines will once again be able to sell tickets on Mexican airline-operated flights.

In May 2021, the FAA lowered Mexico’s rating because the country did not meet standards set by a United Nations aviation group.

The FAA found that Mexico’s ability to oversee its airlines fell short of standards set by a U.N. group called the International Civil Aviation Organization. Those standards cover a broad range of issues, including the regulator’s technical expertise, inspection procedures and record-keeping.

FAA safety ratings of other countries are designed to measure those countries’ oversight of its airlines but do not mean that the airlines are unsafe.

The FAA decision to lower Mexico from “Category 1” to “Category 2” had put it in a group of countries that includes Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand.