9 April 2014
Low Cost Carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) of the Philippines has been cleared by the European Commission Air Safety Committee (ASC) Tuesday to fly to any States within the European Union nine months after it allowed Philippine Airlines to fly its Airspace.
The European Commission in its 23rd update removed CEB from the list of airlines subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union, better known as "the EU air safety list".
The Commission will likewise decide the fate of all airlines from the Philippines whether they shall remain on the EU air safety list after the Philippine Aviation Authority (CAAP) made earnest efforts to improve aviation safety as noted by the EU Air Safety Committee.
Earlier last year, the Philippines got a positive impression by the EU's ASC in Belgium after ICAO lifted the remaining significant security concerns regarding the Philippines in February 2013.
The safety rating of the Philippines was downgraded by the US FAA in 2008 to Category 2 upon the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
A similar observation was noted by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last month when it send its chief inspectors to the country and is about to announce it's new safety rating for the Philippines in the last quarter of this month.
The airline manifested intention to fly to Italy via Dubai using Airbus A330-300 aircraft.