The government intends to improve aviation standards within two months after Philippine carriers were blacklisted by the European Union on safety concerns, reported Manila Standard Today. European regulators will be invited back to Manila in May “to show that that we have corrected the problem that they have raised,” Alfonso Cusi, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said. The EU last week barred Philippine carriers from flying to Europe because of “serious safety deficiencies.” But the Philippine government had already begun work on improving regulations after concerns were raised by US and international authorities, Cusi said. “Even if the Philippines is listed by the EU, it does not mean that Philippine aircraft are unsafe,” Cusi said. “It's a matter of adopting the internationally accepted audit procedures.” Philippine Airlines Inc. is the country's only carrier registered to serve EU destinations. Its last commercial flight to Europe was in 1999. Despite the EU action, the US Federal Aviation Administration continues to allow PAL to operate up to 33 weekly flights to the United States. “PAL would like to assure the riding public that safety remains the bedrock of PAL's operations,” the airline said.
