AsBAA, Asia’s non-profit representative body for the business and general aviation industry (BA/GA) has today 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. Further to the events, CAAP has confirmed that it recognises business aviation’s role in building the country’s economy.
CAAP, through Deputy Director General Captain Donaldo Mendoza, recognised 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 Organisation’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 modernise our policies but also ensure that organisations 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”.
Phil Balmer, AsBAA Vice Chairman, said “The value of business aviation is indirect, and therefore, hard to measure. Nonetheless, it affects communities and increases efficiency, hence, its vital role in business and humanitarian action”.
Kurt Edwards, Director General of the International Aviation Council (IBAC), explained that the International Standards for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO), launched in 2002 for aircraft operators, and the International Standards for Aviation Handling (IS-BAH), launched in 2014 for ground handlers, are voluntary standards adopted by those who want to improve performance and safety. They require the establishment of a Safety Management System, or systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organisational structures, accountabilities, policies, and procedures.
AsBAA’s Philippine Chapter is headed by Benjamin Lopez, President of INAEC Aviation Corporation. He said that, “As members of IBAC, AsBAA and all its chapters advocate the benefits of business and general aviation to the country and aim to uphold international standards for a better and safer business and general aviation industry.
Adopting the standards of IS-BAO and IS-BAH through local regulations is a positive step towards that direction”.