Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific has achieved full compliance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), joining a roster of 429 airlines worldwide that have strictly complied with the most stringent international standards in aviation safety.
The IATA IOSA is a globally accepted audit program considered as the accreditation with the highest internationally agreed standards for safety management in the airline industry.
Though not a member of IATA, which represents some 280 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic, Cebu Pacific is now listed in the IOSA registry of operators that have met the benchmark for airline safety management.
“We are committed to upholding the highest possible standards for the benefit of our passengers. Hence, we chose to undergo the rigorous and stringent audit requirements for IOSA. Since it is considered the internationally recognised and accepted benchmark for airline safety, we wanted to be sure that our protocols and regulations meet IOSA standards,” Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei said in a statement.
Over the past several months, Cebu Pacific said, it has invested in technologies that have improved its capability to better manage safety risks.
These include the on-board Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) cockpit technology for its Airbus fleet, the system that monitors runway conditions before an aircraft lands and calculates where the aircraft can safely stop; Area Navigation (RNAV) data for more accurate navigation and approaches to various airports; and Fatigue Risk Management System, which minimizes safety risks for pilots and ensures they are sufficiently alert.
Airlines are re-evaluated for IOSA certification every two years using global best practices for auditing operations management and other control systems such as flight operations, operational control, flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, aircraft ground handling, cargo operations, and operational security.
Aside from Cebu Pacific, registered with the IATA IOSA are Philippine Airlines and PAL Express.
