Philippines optimistic of air safety upgrade
The Philippines is confident its aviation safety rating will be upgraded this year, following positive feedback from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
All Philippines-based airlines are currently banned from operating in European Union (EU) airspace due to safety concerns, while the US has also imposed restrictions on the country’s carriers. But the Philippine government said this week it was hopeful that these sanctions would soon be eased, after ICAO wrote a letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) saying that the country has successfully addressed the “significant safety concerns” it had earlier identified.
“With this positive development, the CAAP will continue to coordinate with the European Union and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about upgrading the country’ s aviation status,” the Philippines’ Deputy Presidential spokesperson, Abigal Valte, was reported saying this week.
Last published in December 2012, the EU aviation blacklist places blanket bans on carriers of certain countries, if their internal safety standards are not deemed to be sufficiently stringent. In its most recent report, the EU maintained the two-year ban on Philippine carriers but said it “recognises the efforts” of the Philippines to reform safety standards, and said it would work with ICAO to help the country “get off the list when the safety situation [improves]”.
The move comes at a vital time for the Philippines’ aviation sector. The country’s two main international carriers, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), are both expanding rapidly, with CEB expecting to commence its first long-haul flights, to Dubai, in October 2013. PAL meanwhile, has placed orders 10 new long-haul aircraft.
The move will also be a boost to the Philippines’ tourism industry, which is targeting 10 million international arrivals by 2016.