The Downgrade of Philippine Aviation

Just recently, the Federal Aviation Autority (FAA) of the United States downgraded the Philippine aviation safety rating from Category 1 to Category 2. This downgrade means that the air safety measures being taken by the Philippines is below the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Among the FAA’s concerns were outdated aviation regulations, poor training programs for safety inspectors, sub-standard licensing for air frame and engine inspectors, and the shortage of personnels.

The implications of the downgrade is a big deal. The message beyond the assessment is that the Philippines is risking the lives of its air travellers by operating below the standards they set, casting a negative image of the Philippines as an unsafe destination with untrustworthy facilities and infrastructure. Nonetheless, no major air accident happened in the country for, I think, the last ten years involving commerical passengers.

Another effect of the downgrade hurt our country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL). FAA regulations provide for limits on US operations of airlines licensed in Category 2 countries. Of Philippine-licensed carriers, only PAL has flights in the US. Under Category 2 status, PAL can continue their current service to the US under strict conditions that the airline is prohibited from increasing its 33 flights a week to the US and its territories, changing the type or increasing the number of aircraft used on these routes and whenever PAL plane lands in its US routes,  there will be an FAA inspection of the aircraft. It will also have a negative impact on PAL plans to fly to San Diego, Chicago, New York and Saipan.

If it gives any consolation, we are not the only country downgraded by the FAA. Bangladesh, Cote D’ Ivoire, Ghana, Guyana, Indonesia, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro, the former Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe, and Nauru join the Philippines in the list with downgraded assesment. But knowing the list made me more crazy, with the likes of Zimbabwe, Guyana, Bangladesh and Ghana on our league isn’t funny.

The government should take the issue seriously and in full speed. Heads already rolled in Philippine Air Transportation Office (ATO) and the government is now in a hurry to regain its Category 1 rating. While politics should be out of this issue as it concerns the safety and security of the air travellers, some politicians gave malice to the downgrade. Statements like, "It’s US pressure to the Philippines to support US war against terror", "US telling Arroyo her days as president are numbered", "US blackmailing RP to swiftly allow Hawaiian Airlines to fly to Manila", etc. are irresponsible and uncalled for.  Why don’t we accept the fact that we really failed their assesment because we fared short to the criteria they set, which are really evident with ATO’s acceptance of some of the grounds the FAA mentioned - lack of manpower and poor infrastructure to name a few.

Too much politics can be blamed for the the downgrade. Both sides of the Philippine politics should stop throwing dirt to each other and just focus on resolving the problems instead of wasting their time looking for who to blame, afterall,  they are all (opposition and administration) accountable for this.