Foreign airlines can now use their own country's safety checks to fly in the US

The US Federal Aviation Administration will now accept safety certificates issued by certain regional aviation oversight groups. This means foreign airlines from countries that belong to these groups will have an easier time getting approval to operate flights to and from the United States.

For decades, every foreign airline wanting to fly to the US had to get a specific certificate from the FAA, even if their home country already had robust safety checks. This rule change means the FAA trusts certain international bodies to do the initial safety vetting. It should speed up the process for many foreign carriers, potentially increasing competition and flight options.