*  Direct flight opportunity for Kenya Airways

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Category 1 rating for Kenya for complying with international safety standards under the agency’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.

A Category 1 rating means Kenya’s civil aviation authority meets International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.  With the Category 1 rating, Kenyan air carriers, including Kenya Airways, that are able to secure the requisite FAA and DOT authority can establish service to the United States and carry the code of U.S. carriers.

The FAA had not previously assessed Kenya’s civil aviation authority for compliance with ICAO standards. The Category 1 status announced Tuesday February 27, is based on a February, 2017 FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by Kenya’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

As part of the FAA’s IASA program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to fly to the United States, currently conduct operations to the United States, or participate in code sharing arrangements with U.S. partner airlines, and makes that information available to the public.  The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations.

In order to maintain a Category 1 rating, a country must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.