The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday said that Costa Rica now complies with international aviation safety standards and has been granted the highest international ranking.
Carlos Alvarado, Costa Rica’s president, announced the news on Thursday via social media platform.
“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has informed us that Costa Rica immediately recovers its Category 1 rating in terms of aviation safety.”
“We celebrate this news, which means that, after hard work by our authorities together with strategic allies, the country has managed to comply with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” Carlos said.
The FAA said in a press release that it commended Costa Rica’s “demonstrated commitment toward effective safety oversight.”
The FAA in May 2019 had downgraded Costa Rica to Category 2, meaning its carriers could continue existing service to the United States but would not be allowed to establish new service to U.S. destinations. The new Category 1 rating is based on reassessments in 2020 and a January safety oversight meeting with Costa Rican aviation authorities.