The recent amendments to the legislation have eliminated several barriers that often delayed the commencement of aeronautical operations and were not in line with new international provisions.
The reforms to the Organic Law of Civil Aviation, approved by the Legislative Assembly on April 19, will streamline various procedures related to authorizations, permits, licenses, and aviation registrations in the country, making El Salvador more attractive for new investments in the sector, stated Homero Morales, the Executive Director of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in an interview with “Diario El Salvador.”
According to Morales, the amendments to the legislation eliminate several barriers that frequently hindered the initiation of operations and were not in line with new international provisions.
For example, the current law, which dates back to 2001, still maintained the practice of post-certification hearings or tariff registrations, which is no longer carried out internationally and adds bureaucracy to obtaining necessary documents. With the reform, the response time for various procedures is significantly reduced.
The executive emphasized that the reforms reduce bureaucracy without sacrificing the technical process that ensures the safety of operations.
Furthermore, the changes facilitate the issuance of operation permits for local heliports and aerodromes, exempting these facilities from certifications that are required only for international airports according to international regulations.
Morales also pointed out that the modernization of the law allows the country to comply with the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), of which El Salvador is a member and part of the governing council. It also enables the country to maintain Category 1, a condition that few nations in the region possess.
Having this category positions El Salvador as a guarantor of compliance with international regulations, particularly in the field of operational safety, as obtaining it requires undergoing an IASA (International Aviation Safety Assessment) audit.
“The reforms allow us to continue being attractive as a state so that any air operator from another ICAO contracting state can operate in the country due to our regional scale position. It also contributes to the development of our national air operators, providing connectivity for Salvadorans by guaranteeing new routes and frequencies to the United States. It gives us a competitive advantage in attracting investment. Our Category 1 status as a Salvadoran state makes the airport more appealing, and countries without this category have to come here and operate flights to the countries that are restricted for them,” detailed Morales.
On the other hand, the update of the legislation strengthens the CAA’s capacity to impose fines. This means imposing appropriate penalties for air operators, as well as the entire civil aviation industry in El Salvador, to fulfill their obligations to passengers.
Finally, Morales mentioned that among the benefits of the reforms, improvements in rest periods and fatigue management for aeronautical technical personnel are intended, as required by ICAO.