The US aviation administration has placed the country into higher category under its flights safety programme, according to information unveiled by the Bulgarian delegation in the US led by PM Sergei Stanishev. The act allows local air carriers to operate direct flights to the US and to operate joint flights with US air carriers. The right has been suspended since 1996 onwards. The American agency has performed four check-ups in the last few months and has concluded that the local carriers meet its safety requirements. Head of the local aviation association Svetoslav Stanulov comments for Dnevnik Daily that no local airline has the capacity to perform such flights at present. However, US companies may explore the local market and launch flights to destinations in the country.