DOT seeks seat in new CAA

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pushing for its inclusion in the soon to be created Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano stressed yesterday that “the interest of tourism in the country’s civil aviation sector is obvious and its membership in the CAA is logical.”

The Senate and House of Representatives are in the final stages of passing a bill for the creation of the CAA to replace the Air Transportation Office (ATO), following the downgrading of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the Philippines’ air transport safety system category.

The bicameral conference committee has expressed confidence that the creation of the fiscally autonomous CAA would help upgrade the country’s air transport safety services to international standards.

The CAA creation is also expected to help convince the United States FAA to revert the Philippines’ safety rating to Category 1.

Durano, however, lamented that under the proposed measure, the DOT was excluded from the CAA governing board.

He said he would ask Bohol 1st District Rep. Edgardo Chatto and Sen. Richard Gordon to remedy the situation by incorporating the DOT’s membership in the CAA into the pending bill.

The tourism chief added that the DOT is closely working with the Civil Aviation Board to make the country more accessible to travelers, particularly European tourists.

This developed as the local office of Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced that it will stop its Manila-Europe flights beginning this April due to strong competition.

Durano said that the DOT will also continue to push for the internationalization of the country’s provincial airports and the general upgrade of facilities to encourage more regular flight offerings and charter services to the country.  – Mayen Jaymalin