Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and its subsidiary Airphil Express (formerly Air Philippines) have expressed grave concerned over the recent decision of the European Commission (EC) banning all Philippine carriers from operating in member-states of the European Union (EU).

Despite the unfortunate inclusion of PAL and all other local carriers in the EC blacklist which is a direct consequence of the downgrade of the Philippine government’s aviation safety rating PAL would like to assure the riding public that safety remains the bedrock of PAL’s operations.

PAL lamented that the EC decision came about notwithstanding PAL’s safety record, as borne out by its compliance with internationally accepted safety standards, including the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and audits by major foreign aviation regulatory authorities.

For four consecutive years since 2006, PAL is the only IOSA-certified Philippine carrier.

Low-cost carrier Airphil Express assured its passengers and the riding public that flying by air is still one of the safest modes of transportation in the Philippines.

Airphil Express issued the statement amidst the recent decision by the European Commission’s air safety committee to ban all Philippine carriers from flying to member-states of the European Union.

"While no Philippine carrier currently flies to any point in Europe, we wish to assure the riding public that our planes are well-maintained and adhere to a strict maintenance policy that puts a premium on passenger comfort and safety," said Airphil president David Lim.

"Airphil Express is committed to safety. In fact, that is precisely the reason why we are uncompromising when it comes to aircraft maintenance. We also continue to boost our fleet with the acquisition of new jet aircraft in addition to our well-maintained fleet of turboprop airplanes," said Lim.

Three days ago, the former Air Philippines relaunched itself under the brand name Airphil Express, signaling its entry into the budget airline business.

It took delivery of two Airbus A320s which sport the new Airphil Express livery and configured mono-class with 177 seats. The new jet aircraft began flying from Manila to Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro last March 28.

Taipan Lucio Tan, chairman of Airphil’s sister firm Philippine Airlines, said Airphil Express is acquiring a total of 20 new airplanes over the next four years, in addition to the current fleet of eight Bombardier Q400 and Q300 turboprop aircraft.

Two recent events led to the inclusion of Philippine carriers in the EC ban, namely: the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision in January 2008 downgrading the Philippines safety rating to Category 2; and the “significant safety concern” findings by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in November 2009 against Philippine aviation safety regulators. (EHL)