AsBAA’s efforts in Philippines recognised by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

AsBAA, Asia’s non-profit representative body for the business and general aviation industry (BA/GA) has shared feedback from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines CAAP based upon the successful completion of its recent inaugural AsBAA Safety Day and Pilot’s Day. CAAP has confirmed that it recognizes business aviation’s role in building the country’s economy.

CAAP, through Deputy Director General Captain Donaldo Mendoza, recognized the role of business aviation in “connecting our archipelagic country,” as, “For years, air travel has transported people and cargo to their destination in the safest and most efficient way.” Speaking at the Philippine Aviation Safety Day on November 13, Mendoza said many of the 85 airports across the country are serviced by general and business aviation operators, “Helping transport VVIPs and supporting industries such as oil and gas, mining, and agriculture, among others.”

Philippine airports scored 70.19% at the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Global Safety Audit, higher than the 64.85% global average. “This means our airports are performing safer than most and are adhering to global aviation safety practices”, said Mendoza, who said aviation regulators and operators are duty-bound to uphold safety and improve safety standards. For the general and business aviation sector, Mendoza said, “Creating and/or adopting a new set of regulations is a development that will not only modernize our policies but also ensure that organizations are meeting highly professional codes of safety practices.” He added, “As the country's aviation industry continues to grow and become more lucrative, I believe that adopting a separate set of regulations for business and general aviation operations is a measure that will support this growth.”

Aviation Safety Day and Pilots’ Day, held on November 13-14, was made possible by the following sponsors: ACTSI, Embraer, Hawker Pacific (now a Jet Aviation company), the Malampaya Consortium Partners, AON, MedAire, Aerolink, Universal Weather and Aviation, Ascent Urban Air Mobility Inc., and Inaec Aviation Corp.