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Thursday, November 24, 2011

RP carriers banned from flying to EU countries

SOPHIA M. DEDACE, GMANews.TV

Citing failure to comply with international safety standards, the European Union has blocked Philippine airliners from flying to its 27 member countries. Sudanese airlines were also banned from European Union countries.

"The European Commission has adopted today the 13th update of the Community’s list of airlines banned in the European Union to include all air carriers of two additional countries: Sudan and the Philippines, on the basis of safety assessments by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)," the commission said in a statement made public on Tuesday.

No Philippine airline currently has direct flights to Europe. But according to the New York Times, "under the terms of the ban, all European travel agencies will be obliged to inform customers if they plan to travel on a blacklisted carrier. Travelers who have booked a seat on a blacklisted carrier have the right to have their reservation changed to another airline or to have their airfare reimbursed."

European Commission vice president Siim Kallas added that "safety comes first… We cannot accept that airlines fly into the EU if they do not fully comply with international safety standards."

“PAL laments that the EC decision came about notwithstanding PAL’s safety record, as borne out by its compliance with internationally accepted safety standards," Philippine Airlines (PAL) said in a statement.

“PAL would like to assure the riding public that safety remains the bedrock of PAL’s operations. It has always been the flag carrier’s policy to ensure that its passengers fly with the full assurance of safety and comfort," it added.

The commission said it is willing to support countries that need to beef up efforts to meet safety standards in civil aviation. "It is ready to support the Philippines to overcome serious safety deficiencies," it said.

It also acknowledged the efforts made by the "Philippine Airlines and Cebu Airlines [Cebu Pacific Air]" to ensure safety operations, to improve the civil aviation system in the Philippines, and to address the recommendation by the US Federal Aviation Authority and the ICAO.

But the commission said it would forbid those airlines from flying into the 27-country EU bloc as a precaution until its remaining concerns could be addressed. It added that Brussels (EU headquarters) was prepared to send a delegation of safety experts to visit the country.

PAL, the country’s flag carrier, is the only local airline registered to fly to the EU. Its last commercial flight there was in 1999.

RP: Our carriers are safe

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines maintained that Philippine carriers are safe.

"Even if the Philippines is listed by the EU, it does not mean that Philippine carriers are unsafe," a Reuters report quoted CAAP newly-appointed head Alfonso Cusi as saying.

MalacaƱang also said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was leaving the matter in Cusi’s hands.

The EU was not the first international organization to take note of the Philippine civil aviation system.

In November 2007, the US Federal Aviation Authority downgraded the Philippines’ safety ratings from Category 1 to Category 2, after finding the country as an "unsafe port of origin."

Countries that fall under category 1 are those which comply with aviation safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization while those that fall under category 2 are those that do not.

Last February 2010, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the downgrading has stunted Philippine tourism coming from North America because PAL can no longer execute its expansion of flights after it acquired Boeing-777 jumbo jets.

17 countries blocked

While it banned Sudanese and Philippine carriers, the European Commission partially lifted its restrictions on North Korea’s Air Koryo and Angola’s TAAG “under certain conditions.

With the addition of Sudan and the Philippines on the blacklisted countries, there are now 278 airliners from 17 nations banned from flying to European Union member countries.

These are: Angola, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia.— RSJ/HGS, GMANews.TV

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Showing 14 comments

  • Just_A_Another_Comment
    What is put into question here is the airports on the Philippines. To be specific, Naia 1, 2 and 3. The airport is the cause of the downgrading from CAT 1 to CAT 2. MIAA should make certain changes to adhere policies that are in effect set by the FAA. So, until our problems with out airports are fixed, PAL and any other Philippine carrier will have problems.
  • Cho Nananene, Female semi retired, unemployed, filipina mother of two, caring, loving & miss Philippines and it's glory.
    imagine we rank w/ congo,guinea,sudan & all those other african nation for not complying w/ safety measures....wow! what else Phil. will be noted for?when it comes to downgrade? I can't think of anything else...anyone?
  • sherwin_t
    Let's be fair enough to all the mechanics (both men and women), crew chiefs/team leaders, inspectors and the management of Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) whose unparalleled skills and devotion to their work made not only the Philippine Airlines but also other international airlines safe to fly. With utmost respect, I salute you guys for following the highest degree of standards performed during maintenance checks. At your hands, relied the safety of hundreds of passengers' lives inside the aircraft. Because of you, you made Philippine Airlines one of the safest airline in the world.

    Unfortunately, officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines/Air Transportation Office are not seriously taking care of this problem. Philippines was already downgraded by the Federal Aviation Authority in 2008 and now by the European Union? Hey! Wake up guys! What are you doing there? Don't tell us that you're doing your part.

    Sad to say, this guys are highly qualified and highly competent individuals but lack of interest to carry out their duties and responsibilities made the Philippines shameful to the eyes of the international community.

    Please be reminded that as a Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines employee or officials, it is your responsibility to look after on the safety records of any airline registered within the Philippines and see to it that they fully comply accordingly to the accepted international standard set by the international regulatory body. It is your responsibility to revoke the license of any operator who are not complying with the international standards.

    As what the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines had said, Philippine carriers are safe and what was the problem then?

    I think the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines/Air Transportation Office must get rid of its corrupt and unscrupulous officials first.

    Philippines has a lot of potentials if and only if the country is governed by honest and service oriented individual. There's no doubt that we will be a great nation if we are free of corruption. (Not to mention that OFWs are best and highly regarded of their skills, initiatives, common sense and dedication to their work).

  • kakatuwa
    some point eu is right
  • kakatuwa
    some point totoo and some hindi, witness mismo ako dun.
  • corrupt_na_lakisahirap
    wow! we are now at par with CONGO and ANGOLA... and if we add to that the country's road and maritime safety records, then the Philippines could be NUMBER 1 on the list of the "World's Most Dangerous Places to Travel".... now, that's progress! :))
  • xiandgreat
    puro african countires pa ang kasama sa blacklist.di naman pwede yan.di naman pwedeng icompare mo yan sa airline natin
  • leohernandez
    It is dismay to our Flag carrier airlines we changes the head of this company.There is something wrong on the top officials of this company.They never learned lesson from 2007 FAA incident.
  • johnflorencio
    fuck off
  • concern_pinoy_from_uk
    This is a big blow to PAL!! I hope the Phil. government will do something to lift the ban.
  • concern_pinoy_from_uk
    This is a big shame to PAL. I hope the Phil. government will do something to lift the ban.


  • feduppinoyfromblablah
    you sound very surprised? efficiency & corruption is away of life in Phils
    specially with the government, and that explains why both of us and the rest were displaced & uprooted from dear motherland.
  • allanots
    kakahiya!!..ganito na ba talaga kababa uri ng Pilipinas?
  • nakakahiya naman ang Pilipinas...pati mga airline banned na! tsk, tsk...

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