ICAO didn’t audit SpiceJet, airline made false claim

MUMBAI: Low-cost carrier SpiceJet, which until recently was under enhanced surveillance of the Indian civil aviation regulator over safety concerns, had claimed last week that it had passed with flying colors an audit conducted by none other than the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations specialized agency that sets standards and regulations for civil aviation. All that brouhaha has forced ICAO to respond. On Tuesday, ICAO clarified that it has not audited any airline in India. In fact, the ICAO website states that it never audits any airline or airport in any country.

“As part of an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), ICAO teams conduct industry visits to verify the effectiveness of the civil aviation authority’s safety oversight. This will include visits to multiple operators. ICAO wishes to clarify that visits to these operators are not an audit or inspection at all,” said ICAO in a statement.