Phl presents air safety plan to EU

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has presented to the European Union (EU) the developments in the country’s efforts to strengthen the implementation of air safety reforms in an effort to lift the EU ban on Philippine carriers.

Viorel Isticioaia-Budura, managing director for Asia and Pacific of the European External Action Service (EEAS), said the recent measures taken by the Philippines to address air safety deficiencies are an important step to lift the EU ban.

Budura, also head of the EU delegation in the two-day 7th Philippines-European Union Senior Officials’ Meeting in Manila that concluded on Tuesday, also urged the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to address the significant concerns issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The CAAP gave a presentation to the EU senior officials as the Europeans review the measures initiated by the Philippines to lift the ban on all airlines based in the country.

Budura pointed out that the EU is not alone in identifying the safety concerns that led to the air ban. Both the ICAO and the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) have serious concerns.

The EU prohibited last year all airlines based in the Philippines to operate in EU countries due to unsafe carriers.

The EU said “serious safety deficiencies” in the Philippines’ regulation of carriers led to the air ban.

The European Commission, the 27-nation EU executive arm, cited assessments by the ICAO.

“The EU looks forward to the time when the ban can be lifted but the timing will depend on the corrective measures implemented by the Philippine government to address the deficiencies as reported by the EU Safety Assessment Mission in October 2010,” Budura said in a press conference.

The official said the CAAP gave a presentation to the EU delegation and introduced recent measures taken.

“And we feel that this is an important step forward. We really encourage the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to address significant concern issued by the ICAO,” Budura said.

He said the presentation and measures taken by the Philippine government to address the safety deficiencies in the country’s regulation of carriers “would open the door for EU to make its own assessment and prepare a mission to assess the measures in the near future.”

“Once again we look forward to the resolution of this issue as soon as the facts and the realities on the ground would permit it,” he added.

Budura pointed out that the lifting of the ban on Philippine carriers would facilitate incoming tourists to the Philippines and enable easy travel for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Europe.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Elizabeth Buensuceso said the EU and the CAAP have been engaged in dialogue and exchange of communication.

She said CAAP representatives gave the presentation to address all the six specific issues that have been raised in this sector.

“And I’m hoping that the EU will find this reply satisfactory and we will forward this process early next year by opening more opportunities for dialogue so that eventually this problem could be resolved,” Buensuceso said.