US FAA representatives to visit Phl next week

MANILA, Philippines - Representatives from the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) are set to visit the Philippines next week as a prelude to the lifting of the ban imposed on Philippine carriers from mounting additional flights to the US.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said that the FAA representatives would be in Manila starting July 7 to monitor the programs being implemented by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

“It will be technical assistance to ensure CAAP programs are sustainable,” Abaya stressed.

This will be the second visit in the Philippines in two months by representatives from the FAA.

For his part, CAAP deputy director general John Andrews said the purpose of the 10-day visit of the representatives of the FAA is to assist the agency implement major reforms.

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 CAAP failed to comply with safety standards for the oversight of air carrier operations.

Last month, a team that included 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.

FAA manager for international programs and policy John Barbagallo was supposed to head the team to validate whether the Philippines has complied with the recommendations made in 2010.

CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III earlier told reporters that the government is confident that the Philippines would get an upgrade from the US FAA in the last quarter of the year or early next year.