India, Oct. 5 -- With around 45 days left for the US aviation regulator to assess India's aviation safety oversight system, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is making a final push to inspect airlines and address issues, if any.

But why does the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) assessment matter, and what could be at stake for India?

The FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme assesses the country's civil aviation regulator, rather than individual airlines. It examines whether the regulator has the laws, technical expertise, trained personnel, procedures and resources needed to effectively oversee airlines in accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICA...