In May 2023, the national airline MIAT received two 787-9 /DREAMLINER/ aircraft to operate direct flights to the USA.
The Government of Mongolia approved a draft agreement for a grant, which will be signed between the government of the country, the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
This year, Mongolia and the USA signed an Air Transport Agreement, creating a legal basis for organizing direct flights between the two countries.
To launch direct flights, Mongolia needs to pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) conducted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as the security assessment carried out by the Transportation Security Administration.
As part of the preparation for launching direct flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia initiated a tender and signed a contract in 2024 with the American consulting firm The Wicks Group Consulting to obtain professional recommendations for the IASA assessment.
Currently, the civil aviation authorities of Mongolia are working on implementing the recommendations received during the consulting services. Negotiations are underway for funding the second phase of consultations from USTDA to complete preparations for the IASA assessment.
In the near future, the signing of the grant agreement is expected, which will become the legal basis for concluding a contract with The Wicks Group Consulting and starting work.
In May 2023, the national airline 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 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1992. It is designed to assess the ability of national civil aviation authorities to comply with international flight safety standards and recommended practices for licensing and operating aircraft.
According to the Chicago Convention, regulatory authorities of any sovereign country are required to oversee air carriers operating within the state. These international standards and practices are established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN's technical agency for aviation.
History of the IASA Program
After the crash of Flight 52 of Avianca on Long Island, New York, on January 25, 1990, serious questions arose about how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversees the safety of foreign air carriers operating flights to the USA. In response to a Newsday article criticizing the low safety records of foreign airlines, the FAA established the IASA program in 1992.
IASA Rating Categories
As a result of the IASA audit, each country is assigned one of two ratings:
Category 1 (Meets ICAO Standards): The FAA assessed the country's civil aviation operations and determined that it issues licenses to aviation personnel and oversees the activities of air carriers and airworthiness in accordance with ICAO standards.
Category 2 (Does Not Meet ICAO Standards): The FAA concluded that the country's civil aviation authority does not meet the minimum safety requirements established by ICAO.
Air carriers from Category 2 countries may continue to operate flights to the USA, but they are prohibited from expanding their services or entering into code-sharing agreements with U.S. carriers. Additionally, such companies may be subject to enhanced inspections on the tarmac.
