The Department of Tourism (DOT) expects to get out of the black mark from the U.S. FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) downgrade and the European ban by March next year once the audit is completed this month.
Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said this in a speech at the ongoing 36th Philippine Business Conference held at the Manila Hotel.
“On the FAA downgrade, and the EU travel ban, measures have been taken by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to get us out of the black market by March next year,†Lim said.
An audit is being undertaken this month which the CAAP is confident of finally passing, he said.
“The issue of hiring the appropriate technical personnel at their market rate has been resolved,†Lim said.
CAAP, an agency under the Department of Transportation and Communication, is responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel.
The downgrade by he US Federal Aviation Administration hurt Philippine Airlines, the only local airline that flies to the United States, but might also lead to huge losses for the trade and tourism industries as it would create a negative impression of the country.
PAL said Tuesday that the Category 2 rating barred it from increasing its 33 flights a week to the United States and US territories, and from changing the type or increasing the number of aircraft on those routes.
Among the FAA’s concerns were outdated aviation regulations, poor training programs for safety inspectors, and sub-standard licensing for airframe and engine inspectors.
In the FAA audit, the Philippines passed only the first requirement, which is the existence of a law on civil aviation.
The Philippine Travel Agencies Association, which said the downgrade cast a negative image of the country “as an unsafe destination with untrustworthy facilities and infrastructure.â€
Association president Jose Clemente III urged the government to quickly correct the problems that led to the FAA downgrade.
Getting off the FAA downgrade would help the government attain its target of reaching six million tourist arrivals from the current three million tourists in six years or after President Aquino’s term.
This growth is expected to earn P0.6 billion to contribute 6.35 percent to gross domestic product. This growth is also expected to create three million new jobs.
In the first semester this year, international tourist arrivals reached 1.7 million tourists or 12 percent higher than the first semester last year. - source: PNA
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