Argentine Government Intervenes National Civil Aviation Administration

Through decree 606/2024, the Argentine government has ordered the intervention of the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) for an initial period of 180 consecutive days, which may be extended once by a resolution from the Minister of Economy, to which the organization reports through the Secretary of Transportation.

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Among the reasons for the intervention, the decree clarifies that in the operational safety oversight audit conducted by ICAO in 2022, ANAC achieved a compliance level of 60.47%, below the monthly average. Of the eight areas evaluated, in «Civil Aviation Organization,» the compliance rate was 41.67%, while in «Operations,» an area associated with compliance with international standards for the control, supervision, and monitoring of aircraft operations, the rate was only 37.29%.

The decree also highlights that the audit conducted by the United States Federal Aviation Administration in April 2024 detected issues that could affect the continuity of Argentina’s category.

The decree emphasizes that despite 17 years having passed since the creation of ANAC, «significant dysfunctions that affect the system’s integrity continue to be evident, generating potential risks for operational safety and air navigation and seriously damaging the Republic of Argentina’s reputation internationally.»

The intervener will be María Luisa Cordero, a lawyer specializing in public policies with 17 years of experience in various areas such as the Ministry of Defense, Aerolíneas Argentinas, the Airport Security Police, and the Transportation Safety Board.

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Article 4 of the decree details the following powers of the intervener:

• Prepare and submit to the SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION a substantiated report on the state of the cited organization.
• Evaluate the current structure of the NATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION and determine a functional and operational reorganization.
• Evaluate and report on the financial state of the organization.
• Develop procedures aimed at adopting Latin American Aeronautical Regulations (LAR).
• Implement the delegated aviation authority system in the ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, according to current legislation.
• Implement any other mechanisms aimed at streamlining and digitizing the organization’s processes.

«The powers determined in the preceding sections are only indicative and in no way limit the functions of the Intervener concerning other aspects related to audit actions, sanctions, and/or economic-financial issues of the mentioned National Civil Aviation Administration,» the article concludes.

All this comes two days after the Argentine government decreed an unprecedented opening of the air commercial market.