-CAAP expects EU to lift ban on Philippine air carriers this year-

'via Blog this'MANILA - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Wednesday said it expects the European Union (EU) ban to be lifted within the year after a "positive" meeting in Brussels last week.

"We are looking forward in getting lifting (EU ban) within the year," William Hotchkiss 3rd, CAAP director general, said, adding that the meeting was "positive."

EU Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) head director Matthew Baldwin invited CAAP to a meeting in Belgium on April 16.

During the meeting, CAAP presented its mandate as well as developments in the past five years in the Philippine aviation sector.

Hotchkiss said the EU noted improvements in CAAP with regard international safety standards.

He said the EU also accepted its invitation for an on-site visit to Manila on June 3 to re-validate what CAAP presented in Brussels.

"The visit will coincide with the EU Air Safety Committee Meeting to be held on the last week of June in Brussels, Belgium," Hotchkiss said.

He said the committee is tasked to determine whether a country can be removed from the EU blacklist.

The on-site invitation came after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) removed the Philippines from a list of member-states with unresolved significant safety concerns (SSCs).

The EU has kept the Philippines on a blacklist since 2010. These negative ratings prevent Philippine carriers from flying to European destinations and expanding in America.

Hotchkiss said John Barbagallo, manager for International Policy and Programs at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), would also conduct a check-in visit on May 2.

He said the visit will determine if FAA will conduct another audit before the US agency decides on bringing back the Philippines to Category 1.

"We are confident that we complied. Hopefully within the year we will be upgraded," Hotchkiss said.

The Philippines has a Category 2 status, which the FAA bestows on countries that fail to comply with the ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) on international civil aviation safety.

Once the Category 2 status is lifted, Philippine Airlines (PAL) plans to fly to London, Paris, Rome and other parts of the US. Cebu Pacific also wants to fly to the US.

http://www.interaksyon.com/business/60231/caap-expects-eu-to-lift-ban-on-philippine-air-carriers-this-year

Philippine Air Line