Greece fails air safety tests

Olympic Airways fly to New York and Boston

Civil aviation authorities in Greece are failing to meet international safety standards, the US Federal Aviation Administration has found.

Following an assessment of aviation regulation in Greece, the FAA determined that Greece was not following the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The government of Greece has indicated its desire to correct the issues

FAA statement

Greece's Olympic Airways operates flights to New York and Boston, but the country must take steps to comply with ICAO standards if the carrier is to continue flights to US destinations.

Correspondents say the ruling means flights will be subject to increased FAA scrutiny and Olympic will not be allowed to expand its services until the rating is changed.

However, FAA officials stressed that the low rating was not a reflection on the airline itself.

Periodic review of progress

The FAA assessment focused on how the Greek Government regulated aviation safety - not the activities of any individual airline.

There was no announcement about where the deficiency in Greece's regulation proceedures lay, but officials said: "The government of Greece has indicated its desire to correct the issues identified as a result of the FAA assessment."

"The FAA will continue to remain engaged with the civil aviation authority of Greece and will periodically review the progress being taken in the Greek action plan to correct deficiencies," the FAA said in a statement.

The ICAO is a United Nations agency which sets minimum standards for government air safety regulation.

The basic elements include:

• The existence of laws or regulations covering air safety
• An agency with the technical expertise and resources to license and oversee air carriers
• Documentation and records of surveillance of air carrier operations.

The FAA often assists countries which get an unacceptable rating by providing technical expertise, assistance with inspections and training.