The United States and Mongolia are moving into a new phase of aviation cooperation as they work together toward securing a coveted Category 1 safety rating from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a milestone that would finally allow nonstop commercial flights between the two countries. Building on a 2023 Air Transport, or “open skies,” agreement and a growing web of indirect services operated by U.S. carrier United Airlines, both governments and their aviation regulators have now placed the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) at the center of a broader strategy to expand air travel, tourism, trade, and people-to-people ties.
From Open Skies to Category 1: A Strategic Aviation Shift
The current push toward Category 1 status is the latest step in a process that began in earnest when the United States and Mongolia signed a modern air transport agreement in 2023. That agreement created the legal framework for direct flights, removed many legacy restrictions, and aligned the relationship with Washington’s long-standing open skies policy. It gave airlines on both sides the freedom to design routes and fares based on market demand rather than tight government controls, and it signaled that the two governments saw aviation as a key tool for deepening their strategic partnership.
For Mongolia, the agreement dovetailed with an ambitious national effort to open the country to the world, including the “Years to Visit Mongolia” and “Go Mongolia” tourism campaigns. Ulaanbaatar’s new Chinggis Khaan International Airport, designed as a modern regional hub, was built precisely to capture more long-haul traffic. The missing piece has been regulatory: without an FAA Category 1 rating, Mongolian airlines cannot launch new nonstop flights to the United States, no matter how strong demand or how modern their fleets.
This is where the current U.S.-Mongolia cooperation becomes pivotal. Category 1 is not a bilateral favor but a technical judgment by the FAA that a country’s aviation oversight system complies with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Achieving it requires years of institutional reform, investment, and training. By joining forces, Washington and Ulaanbaatar are essentially fast-tracking Mongolia’s path through the IASA process while embedding that work within a broader agenda of economic and diplomatic engagement.
Inside the FAA’s IASA and Category 1 Upgrade Process
The FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment program was established in the early 1990s to evaluate how effectively foreign civil aviation authorities oversee their airlines. Rather than inspecting individual carriers, FAA auditors look at whether a country’s aviation regulator has the laws, regulations, staff, procedures, and safety culture needed to ensure that airlines flying to the United States meet global norms. Countries that pass are designated Category 1, while those that fall short are assigned Category 2, a status that prohibits their airlines from starting new U.S. routes or expanding existing ones.
Mongolia is now aligning its regulatory system to meet this high bar. The Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia has already contracted U.S.-based consultancy The Wicks Group to map gaps and guide reforms. According to recent government disclosures, the work includes rewriting technical regulations to match international standards, upgrading inspector training, and modernizing oversight of everything from aircraft maintenance records to pilot licensing and airline safety management systems. The reforms extend beyond the regulator, as airports, air navigation service providers, and airlines all need to demonstrate robust safety practices.
To fund the most technical and resource-intensive phases of the preparation, the Mongolian Cabinet has approved a draft grant agreement involving the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Once signed, that grant will finance additional consultancy work, simulation audits, and implementation support designed to ensure that Mongolia is ready when the FAA conducts its formal IASA review. The collaboration illustrates how aviation safety assessments have become a platform for broader capacity building, with the United States effectively exporting regulatory know-how as part of its economic diplomacy toolkit.
MIAT’s Long-Haul Ambitions and Fleet Readiness
For Mongolia’s flag carrier, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, the Category 1 effort is not an abstract regulatory exercise. It is directly tied to a long-standing ambition: to operate its own nonstop flights to the United States. MIAT has already invested in the kind of long-haul aircraft needed for these services, including Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets capable of linking Ulaanbaatar with West Coast hubs such as San Francisco or Los Angeles in roughly 10 to 12 hours of flying time.
These aircraft have until now been used primarily on routes to European and Asian destinations, but from the outset Mongolian officials framed their arrival as preparation for eventual direct U.S. operations. The combination of wide-body capacity and a modern airport gives MIAT the physical tools to serve a sizable Mongolian diaspora in North America, as well as a growing number of American travelers drawn by Mongolia’s landscapes, nomadic culture, and adventure tourism offerings.
What MIAT lacks today is the regulatory clearance that only a Category 1 rating can unlock. Once Mongolia attains that status, the carrier will still need to secure route authorities from both sides, obtain safety approvals from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, and finalize commercial decisions on destinations and schedules. But the key barrier will have been removed, turning MIAT’s U.S. plans from aspiration into a near-term business decision. That prospect has injected urgency into the government’s IASA preparations and sharpened the strategic rationale for investing in high-standard aviation oversight.
United Airlines and the Interim Network Bridge
While Mongolia works toward Category 1, United Airlines has emerged as the practical bridge that already connects the two markets. In 2025, United became the first U.S. carrier to serve Mongolia when it launched seasonal flights linking Tokyo Narita and Ulaanbaatar. The service, flown by Boeing 737-800 aircraft and tied into United’s extensive transpacific schedule via Tokyo, effectively opened a single-carrier itinerary from U.S. cities such as Houston, San Francisco, and Chicago to the Mongolian capital.
Operationally, the route gives Mongolian travelers easy access to United’s vast North American network, while U.S. passengers can reach Mongolia with a single connection in Japan on the same airline. Strategically, it allowed United to test demand and brand recognition in a new, under-served market ahead of any future nonstop flights. For Mongolia’s aviation sector, the presence of a major U.S. carrier at Chinggis Khaan International is a visible sign that the reforms and infrastructure investments of the past decade are starting to pay off.
United’s move also underscores why Category 1 status matters. Even though a U.S. airline can serve Mongolia without an IASA upgrade, Mongolian carriers remain restricted from launching reciprocal nonstop flights to American cities until the FAA is satisfied with their home regulator’s performance. Once Category 1 is achieved, both sides can compete and cooperate on a more level playing field, potentially including codeshares, joint marketing, and more diversified route offerings. In that sense, the current United service is likely a prologue to a denser web of connections to come.
Economic, Tourism, and People-to-People Impacts
The shift from multi-stop itineraries to direct or near-direct connections between the United States and Mongolia is expected to have a significant economic and social impact. Currently, many Mongolian travelers route through hubs in Seoul, Istanbul, Beijing, or Tokyo, often facing total journey times of 30 to 50 hours and high ticket prices that can reach several thousand dollars. Direct services would cut both travel time and cost, with early Mongolian government estimates suggesting one-way ticket prices could fall substantially once nonstop routes are established.
Lower barriers to travel are particularly important given the size and dispersion of the Mongolian diaspora in North America, which includes students, professionals, and families spread across the United States. More efficient air links would enable more frequent visits home, make it easier for relatives to travel in the opposite direction, and support a richer flow of cultural and educational exchanges. For American visitors, faster and more competitively priced flights could turn Mongolia from a once-in-a-lifetime expedition into a more approachable destination for repeat trips, especially as tour operators expand offerings from short city breaks to extended nature and cultural itineraries.
On the business side, stronger air connectivity would support bilateral trade and investment in sectors where the two economies are increasingly engaged, from mining and renewable energy to digital services and education. U.S. companies operating in Mongolia would gain more reliable access for staff and clients, while Mongolian firms seeking partners or capital in the United States could better integrate their travel plans with global corporate schedules. Direct flights often act as catalysts for new business relationships, and the U.S.-Mongolia case is unlikely to be an exception.
Geopolitical and Regional Connectivity Dimensions
Beyond commerce and tourism, the aviation partnership reflects a broader geopolitical dynamic. Mongolia has long pursued a “third neighbor” policy aimed at balancing its two giant land neighbors, Russia and China, by cultivating closer ties with democratic partners in Europe, North America, and the Indo-Pacific. Expanded air connectivity with the United States fits neatly into that approach, giving the landlocked nation greater strategic autonomy and more direct links to alternative markets and political allies.
For Washington, deeper aviation ties with Mongolia contribute to a wider regional strategy of building resilient supply chains and transportation networks that are not solely dependent on a few major hubs. The country’s position between Russia and China, combined with a resource-rich economy and a relatively open political system, makes it a unique partner in Northeast and Central Asia. Facilitating safe, modern, and diversified air routes is one element of a larger engagement that includes development assistance, security cooperation, and educational exchange programs.
Once Category 1 status is secured and direct flights are launched, Mongolia could also emerge as a modest but meaningful transit point for niche markets, linking select Asian, European, and North American city pairs. While it is unlikely to rival mega-hubs such as Seoul or Istanbul, Ulaanbaatar can carve out specialized roles, especially during peak tourism seasons, as airlines experiment with routing that combines cargo, tourism, and business demand across multiple regions.
Challenges on the Road to Category 1
Despite strong political momentum, the journey to Category 1 is not without challenges. Aviation safety oversight is a technically complex and resource-intensive undertaking. Mongolia must maintain a corps of highly trained inspectors, ensure that regulations are kept current with evolving international standards, and demonstrate that oversight is independent, transparent, and consistently enforced. For a relatively small aviation market, sustaining this level of institutional capacity requires stable funding and a long-term commitment that goes beyond the immediate goal of securing a U.S. rating.
The IASA process itself can also be demanding. After initial consultations and gap analyses, the FAA typically conducts on-site evaluations, reviews documentation, and assesses how effectively procedures are implemented in day-to-day operations. Any shortcomings identified must be corrected and verified, which can delay the awarding of Category 1 status. For Mongolia, that means there is no guaranteed timeline, even with strong U.S. support and active engagement from international consultants.
At the airline level, MIAT and its domestic competitors will need to align their internal safety management systems, training regimes, and maintenance programs with the higher expectations that come with operating in the U.S. market. Doing so will not only satisfy regulators but will also help build passenger confidence, a critical factor as Mongolian carriers seek to compete with seasoned global airlines. All of this must unfold within a commercial environment where fuel costs, currency fluctuations, and competitive pressures remain unpredictable.
What Travelers Can Expect in the Coming Years
For travelers and industry observers, the next phase of U.S.-Mongolia aviation cooperation will likely unfold in several stages. In the near term, United’s existing services via Tokyo will continue to provide the primary U.S. carrier link to Mongolia, with potential adjustments to frequency or seasonality based on demand. On the Mongolian side, authorities will focus on completing IASA preparation, finalizing the USTDA-backed grant arrangements, and implementing the final round of regulatory and institutional upgrades ahead of a full FAA assessment.
If Mongolia attains Category 1 status, attention will turn quickly to concrete route announcements. MIAT has signaled that West Coast gateways, particularly San Francisco, are under active consideration, aligning with both aircraft range and diaspora patterns. Nonstop flights from Ulaanbaatar to one or more U.S. cities would mark a historic first for scheduled commercial travel between the two countries and would likely be accompanied by promotional campaigns aimed at both Mongolian and American passengers.
Over a slightly longer horizon, the combination of direct services, open skies flexibility, and a strengthened regulatory framework could give rise to deeper partnerships among airlines, tourism boards, and airports. Codeshares, loyalty program tie-ups, and multi-destination itineraries linking Mongolia with other Asian or European stops on a single ticket are all on the table once regulatory barriers recede. For TheTraveler.org readers, that translates into more options, more competitive pricing, and new ways to experience one of Asia’s most intriguing destinations.