FAA to Upgrade PH Aviation Rating

Restores CAT1 Rating Effective November

June 6, 2013

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will lift upwards the aviation rating of the country following successful audit from Switzerland-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In a letter address to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the American regulators has agreed to upgrade the aviation rating of the Philippines to Category 1 by November, Director General William Hotchkiss III said in a briefing.

Hotchkiss said the FAA will conduct final assessment to the country in the next few months, after which a two-year surveillance program would be imposed to the country to address sustainability issues.

"The program is similar to a probation where FAA officials would fly in and out of the country to address the sustainability aspect” Hotchkiss said.

The surveillance program is meant to secure compliance of aviation standards.

Meanwhile, European aviation regulators from European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) based in Germany has arrived into the country for validation purposes of recent ICAO findings.

ICAO has delisted the Philippines from having Significant Safety Concerns (SSC)s to its aviation laws and regulations last February.

The EU inspectors will be in the country until June 7 to determine whether the Philippines should be removed from the European Union blacklist.