Israel regains Category 1 Aviation Safety ranking

The move comes three years after Israel was downgraded to a category 2 ranking
 
Israel's Transport Minister Yisrael Katz revealed that the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) returned Israel’s safety ranking to Category 1, its highest ranking.
 In a press release, the ministry noted that the FAA informed Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director Giora Rom of the organization’s decision to cancel Israel’s downgrade to Category 2 for flight safety, and return it to Category 1.
 
A Category 1 rating means the country's civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards.
 
A category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee airline safety or its civil aviation authority — equivalent to the FAA for safety matters — lacks technical expertise or trained personnel, or is deficient in its record keeping or inspection procedures.
 
 With the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating, Israeli air carriers can add flights and service to the United States and carry the code of U.S. carriers. With the Category 2 rating, Israeli air carriers were allowed to maintain existing service to the United States, but could not establish new services.
 
The move came after the installation of new safety measures at the country’s main Ben Gurion International Airport, the passing of new aviation laws, and the implementation of relevant regulations pertaining to aviation and aircraft maintenance.
 
The move would therefore allow El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. and rivals to boost flights to and from the U.S. and expand partnerships with other carriers. Israeli airlines flying to the US will no longer be subject to the limitations they have faced for the past three-and-a-half year. They will now be able to fly to any destination in the US and continue from there to locations all over the world.
 
In addition to this benefit, both Israeli and American airlines will also now be able to sign more code-share ticketing agreements, the ministry said. North America accounts for about a fifth of El Al's total capacity, and Tel Aviv to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is its busiest international route, with service to Newark, N.J., ranking fifth.