Mongolia advances IASA preparations for direct flights to U.S.
The Mongolian Cabinet approved a draft grant agreement to be signed between the Government of Mongolia, the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia, and the United States Government, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, MONTSAME reports.
Mongolia and the United States signed an Air Transport Agreementin 2023, establishing the legal framework for operating direct flights between the two countries. On the Mongolian side, launching direct flights requires undergoing the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) conducted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, as well as a security assessment by the Transportation Security Administration.
As part of preparations to initiate direct flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia announced a tender and, in 2024, signed a consultancy service contract with U.S.-based The Wicks Group Consulting to obtain professional guidance for the IASA assessment.
Civil aviation sector institutions are currently implementing the recommendations provided through the consultancy services. To fully complete preparations for the IASA assessment, negotiations have been held to secure second-phase funding for consultancy services from the USTDA.
The grant agreement is expected to be signed in the near future. Once concluded, it will provide the legal basis for the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia and The Wicks Group Consulting to sign a consultancy contract and commence work.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Chairwoman of Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee Saltanat Tompiyeva has been appointed as an ambassador under the ICAO Global Ambassadors Programme by decision of ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar.