Six-man ICAO team arrives in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - A six-man team from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) arrived in the country yesterday to assess the Philippines’ aviation safety standards and practices.

The ICAO delegation is composed of Henry Gourdji, Amal Hewawasam, Vincent Lambotte, Christopher Dalton, Guseu Kim and Saulo Jose da Silva.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director general William Hotchkiss III said the ICAO’s validation will last until Feb. 28.

The CAAP is hopeful that its current capabilities as aviation regulatory body would bring the Philippines back to Category 1 status.

The visit of the ICAO team coincided with the necrological service for the late Capt. Francisco Juliano, head of the CAAP flight operations department, who suffered a heart attack in his office last Saturday.

Hotchkiss said during the eulogy that the CAAP had addressed several issues to conform with the ICAO’s standards in their desire to have the US Federal Aviation Authority and European Union’s ban on Philippine carriers lifted.