The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) hosted at its headquarters in Lima, Peru, the Secretary of Transportation from the Ministry of Economy of Argentina, Franco Mogetta, and the interim administrator of the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC), Julia Cordero, who presented the progress made since the last inspection conducted by the international organization.
The national officials showcased the work being carried out in preparation for the upcoming ICAO audit, scheduled for January, under the framework of its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).
During their visit, the national officials held a working meeting with the director of the ICAO South American Regional Office (SAM), Fabio Rabbani, during which they reviewed the action plan being implemented by ANAC with the technical assistance of the international organization to address the observations raised about Argentina’s aviation authority.
Non-compliance and intervention
In 2022, ICAO audited ANAC to assess Argentina’s compliance with international standards and procedures, yielding unfavorable results, with a compliance level of only 60.47%, significantly below the regional average.
In response to this situation, on July 12 of this year, the National Government decided to intervene in ANAC with the aim of identifying operational issues and taking corrective measures to overcome the longstanding deficiencies inherited from previous administrations.
Since then, a process of reorganization within ANAC has begun, involving the formation of a dedicated task force to address the findings identified, supported by technical experts from ICAO’s South American Regional Office in various areas, such as Air Navigation, Licensing, and Operations.
Additionally, during meetings with ICAO authorities, progress was made on the project to implement Latin American Aeronautical Regulations, aiming for regulatory harmonization at the regional level and the establishment of the delegated authority figure as outlined in Decree 606/2024 regarding ANAC’s intervention.
These measures, they noted, are intended to optimize the sector’s operational processes, improving both safety and efficiency in civil aviation.
Air deregulation
The progress in deregulation processes being carried out by the Secretariat of Transportation was also discussed, within the framework of the Open Skies policy and the establishment of new aeronautical trade relations with various countries.
In this context, the signing of Memorandums of Understanding with Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Panama, Canada, and Rwanda was highlighted, “which reaffirms Argentina’s commitment to expanding international air connectivity, creating new markets, and fostering tourism growth in the region,” they explained.
Dual oversight
During the visit, and within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Argentina and Peru in May of this year, a new agreement was also signed between the aviation authorities of both countries for dual oversight of operational safety.
This agreement aims to ensure that operations under interchange agreements, which allow airlines to use Peruvian aircraft and vice versa, comply with ICAO standards.
In this way, safety oversight is enhanced, risks associated with joint air operations are reduced, and the capacity to identify and mitigate potential technical and operational deficiencies is improved.
Moreover, administrative costs and efforts are optimized, while regulations, procedures, and oversight criteria in aviation are aligned between both parties.
