During the period from 6 to 18 December 2023, HCAA was inspected by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), within the framework of the USOAP (Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program), in the field of safety in civil aviation, i.e. in the fields of airports, air navigation and flight standards (certification and control of airlines, airworthiness of aircraft, licensing of aircraft operators, etc.), as well as in the fields of organization and legislation. The Inspection was carried out by a team of seven experienced inspectors from seven different non-EU countries.

The object of this audit was the evaluation of the general capacity of the HCAA for achieving and maintaining high levels of safety in civil aviation, and in particular, whether the HCAA is able to effectively supervise with the aim of preventing or promptly addressing security gaps.

The results exceeded the Authority's initial expectations, reflecting the dedication and hard work of HCAA employees, under the instructions of the Administration, the full support of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and personally of the Minister, Mr. Christos Staikouras as well as everyone's commitment to maintain and strengthen safety standards and regulatory policies in the aviation sector in Greece.

Specifically, in the areas of Legislation (LEG) and Organization (ORG), the results are excellent, in the areas of Flight Operations (OPS), Personnel Licensing (PEL) and Air Navigation (ANS) they are very good, while in the areas of Airports (AGA) and Airworthiness (AIR) are satisfactory.

Overall, HCAA is placed within or slightly above the European average for countries undergoing a full-scale audit for the first time.

It is emphasized that through the HCAA the European Union (EU) was inspected, as Greece was the only member state of the EU which was inspected by ICAO within 2023 and therefore the audit’s results also reflect EASA's ability to provide adequate oversight for the benefit of aviation safety in the EU.

HCAA commits that, from now on, with all available forces, and with the lessons learned from the recent audit as well as the experience it has accumulated after almost 2 years of operation, it will carry out the tasks of supervision, licensing , regulating and enforcing measures, in accordance with European and international standards and with the rigor they impose, with the aim of maintaining the high performance and safety levels that the recent audit recorded for the country and the Greek aviation ecosystem.