The Philippine aviation industry remains under Category II after failing to pass the latest International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 10-day audit.
ICAO found “significant safety concerns (SSC)” in the industry related to flight safety inspection and aircraft registration processes.
The next ICAO audit team will arrive in the country in February 2013.
In 2008, the Philippine aviation industry was downgraded to Category II status from Category I by ICAO, citing safety concerns.
Apart from ICAO, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also ranks the Philippines as a Category 2 market due to safety considerations. The FAA downgrade has affected expansion programs to the United States of Philippine carriers, particularly Philippine Airlines.
The European Union also placed the Philippines on a blacklist in 2009, prohibiting Philippine carriers from flying to the 27 EU member states.
Since then there have been many attempts at returning to Category I status, including the abolition of the Air Transportation Office and establishment of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the agency now responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation, and the hiring of an international team to advice the government on what it needs to do.
Of the 22 safety concerns earlier identified by USFAA, only two — lack of qualified safety personnel and the absence of an integrated IT system to modernize the sector’s database — have yet to be addressed, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications.
Image courtesy of Nujalee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
