A team of auditors from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to arrive in Kazakhstan on September 19 to assess the country’s aviation safety standards ahead of a possible authorization for flights to the US.

Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev announced the upcoming visit, aaccording to Sputnik Kazakhstan.

Lastayev said that Kazakhstan is continuing preparations and hopes to launch direct air services to the US in the foreseeable future.

The FAA assessment is part of the process of evaluating Kazakhstan’s aviation safety oversight before direct flights between the two countries can potentially begin.