Phl return to Category 1 status seen by Oct

MANILA, Philippines - Aviation authorities are confident that the Philippines would finally get the much awaited upgrade from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as early as October that would allow local carriers to mount additional flights to the US.

William Hotchkiss III, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), told reporters on the sidelines of the 1st Aviation Safety and Corporate Governance Symposium that the team leader of the US FAA is scheduled to visit the country in September or October.

“We don’t know when that will be, it could be sometime by September or October. We’ll know by that time whether there are any other remaining hurdles,” Hotchkiss said.

In 2008, the safety rating of the Philippines was downgraded by the US FAA upon the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to Category 2 from Category 1 after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) failed to comply with safety standards for the oversight of air carrier operations.

He pointed out that authorities are confident that the Philippines would be upgraded back to Category 1 status before the end of the year or as early as October.

Last July, a team composed of US-FAA’s Western Pacific-Flight Standards Division manager Nicholas Reyes, and senior FAA representative to the Philippines James Spillane conducted an audit on the Philippines to validate whether CAAP has complied with the recommendations made in 2010.

He pointed out that William Hess of the US-FAA is in town as part of the two-year Technical Assistance Services Agreement signed last June 4.

 â€œIt is now being implemented, and as I speak, a second visitation from the FAA is on-going and all indications are positive towards a possible upgrade before the end of the year,” he said.

Even if the Philippines is upgraded back to Category 1 status, Hotchkiss said aviation authorities have to make sure that the improvements of aviation safety concerns are sustained.

 â€œWe have to address the sustainability issue. Even if we get FAA upgrade before the end of this year, we’ll still need their presence to see to it that things are moving towards sustainability,” he added.

He identified the remaining hurdles as the amendment to provisions of Republic Act 9497 or the act that created CAAP to create a separate entity handling aircraft accident investigation replacing the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB).