It’s official: Phl aviation gets ICAO nod

MANILA, Philippines - It’s official: the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has lifted the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) it issued on the Philippines five years ago.

The lifting of the SSC was made after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) passed the safety audit conducted by the world’s aviation regulatory body last Feb. 18.

With this development, Malacañang is hopeful that local airlines may soon be allowed again to fly to Europe and expand operations in the United States.

The STAR had erroneously reported that the CAAP had failed to pass the review.

Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) team was satisfied with the corrective actions taken by CAAP to comply with international safety standards.

“In a letter to the CAAP dated March 1, the ICAO stated that the validation committee has determined that the corrective actions taken by the Philippines have successfully addressed and resolved the SSCs identified by ICAO,” Valte said.

She said the CAAP would coordinate with the European Union and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) so the Philippines can get a status upgrade.

The US FAA slapped a Category 2 status on Philippine aviation due to its failure to comply with international safety standards.

The EU used ICAO’s findings as basis to ban Philippine carriers from flying to Europe.

The CAAP said it will now focus on regaining the FAA’s Category 1 rating.

“We hope that this formal lifting of the SSCs will finally put to rest the lingering doubts of those who may have been misled by false reports that CAAP has embarrassed President Aquino and the Philippine government by failing the ICAO audit anew,” CAAP director-general William Hotchkiss said.

“We are very thankful for the support given us by the President and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya,” he said. – Rudy Santos, Aurea Calica