By IANS,
New Delhi : Cooperation and trade between Indian and American aviation industries is poised to grow at a rapid pace, said the US aviation watchdog, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Tuesday.
Coinciding with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s India visit, a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) was signed between India and the US. It will open up a huge market for export of aeronautical products manufactured in India to the US and vice-versa.
“This agreement (BASA) would allow authorities on both sides like DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and FAA to certify products that can then be introduced in India and the US,” J. Randolph Babbitt, chief administrator of the FAA, told IANS on the sidelines of an industry event here.
The agreement, which was signed between the ministry of civil aviation and the US government, would unlock vast potential for companies on both sides to develop and deploy aviation equipment and systems, Babbitt said.
Under the agreement, aerospace products made in India would be inspected and certified by the DGCA and they would then be exported.
“This agreement is the first such agreement. It is the ground work after which cooperation in the field of aviation can be boosted,” said Babbitt, who is a member of the delegation led by Clinton.
BASA was signed Monday by Babbitt and Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi.
“This (BASA) will open up huge potential for investment. It will also usher in mutual acceptance of aeronautical products and parts developed in either country,” Zaidi said earlier.
Prior to the signing of the agreement, a six-member FAA team visited the DGCA headquarters here to review the DGCA aircraft certification system and carry out a technical assessment, said the ministry.
The FAA team observed that “the DGCA has a very sound aircraft certification system in place commensurate with the rules, regulations and working procedures”.
The Americans also executed the shadow certification project (examination process), to check the DGCA process of awarding works to its contractors.