Latvia: Direct flights to US made possible after FAA audit

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assigned Category 1 country designation to Latvia following an audit of the Latvian Civil Aviation Agency (CAA), LSM reports. FAA ascertained that Latvia’s civil aviation regulation and CAA’s supervisory activities complied with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The FAA decision allows Latvian airlines to begin operating commercial flights to the US. Business aviation providers plan to launch direct flights to the US in the near future. Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, signed a cooperation agreement with US airline Delta Air Lines in 2021.