PAL Backs IATA Call For Safety Audit
The Philippine Airlines has thrown its support behind the International Air transport Association’s (IATA) campaign to make safety a cornerstone of air travel, particularly in the wake of last Sunday’s fatal crash landing of a Thai budget carrier in Phuket, Thailand.
“As a pioneer member of IATA, having joined the organization in 1946, and the only Philippine carrier to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit, PAL upholds the principle that safety is the bedrock of airline operations,” said PAL president Jaime J. Bautista.
“All airlines, especially the so-called low-cost or budget carriers, should submit themselves to the IATA safety audit. The safety of passengers and crew must never be compromised.”
Bautista backed the call of IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani for airlines and governments to constantly raise the bar on safety.
IATA, which counts over 240 of the world’s leading airlines as members, is the global trade organization for the air transport industry. It was founded in April 1945 and is the prime vehicle for inter-airline cooperation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical air services.
“Every accident reminds us that we must do better. We have had many reminders recently and it will take all of our efforts to keep the accident rate down,” Bisignani said in a major policy speech in Montreal, Canada last week.
The Phuket tragedy, where an MD-83 operated by Thai low-cost airline One-Two-Go skidded off the runway and burst into flames, killing 89 people, brought to the fore the poor safety record of Asia’s fast-growing budget airline sector.
Aviation experts warned that as air fares drop and more people travel, safety is often overlooked by low-cost carriers.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent of Orient Aviation magazine, said, “travelers must be more discriminating in choosing carriers by scrutinizing their safety standards and not just for the cheapest fare.”
“Look for accidents or safety issues. Look at the sort of planes the airline is operating. Are they new or old? What is the background of the airline?”
IATA itself has called on all industry players, including budget carriers, to undergo the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which is the internationally accepted benchmark for safety management in airlines.
“Our common target is zero accidents. Transparent global standards are the only way to get there,” said Bisignani.
Alone among Philippine carriers, PAL hurdled the IOSA tests in 2006 and received its certification in February 2007. The national flag carrier is now among 160 airlines worldwide listed on the IOSA registry.“We congratulate Philippine Airlines for achieving this global standard,” said then IATA vice president for Asia-Pacific Andrew Drysdale during the certification ceremony. /MP
“As a pioneer member of IATA, having joined the organization in 1946, and the only Philippine carrier to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit, PAL upholds the principle that safety is the bedrock of airline operations,” said PAL president Jaime J. Bautista.
“All airlines, especially the so-called low-cost or budget carriers, should submit themselves to the IATA safety audit. The safety of passengers and crew must never be compromised.”
Bautista backed the call of IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani for airlines and governments to constantly raise the bar on safety.
IATA, which counts over 240 of the world’s leading airlines as members, is the global trade organization for the air transport industry. It was founded in April 1945 and is the prime vehicle for inter-airline cooperation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical air services.
“Every accident reminds us that we must do better. We have had many reminders recently and it will take all of our efforts to keep the accident rate down,” Bisignani said in a major policy speech in Montreal, Canada last week.
The Phuket tragedy, where an MD-83 operated by Thai low-cost airline One-Two-Go skidded off the runway and burst into flames, killing 89 people, brought to the fore the poor safety record of Asia’s fast-growing budget airline sector.
Aviation experts warned that as air fares drop and more people travel, safety is often overlooked by low-cost carriers.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent of Orient Aviation magazine, said, “travelers must be more discriminating in choosing carriers by scrutinizing their safety standards and not just for the cheapest fare.”
“Look for accidents or safety issues. Look at the sort of planes the airline is operating. Are they new or old? What is the background of the airline?”
IATA itself has called on all industry players, including budget carriers, to undergo the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which is the internationally accepted benchmark for safety management in airlines.
“Our common target is zero accidents. Transparent global standards are the only way to get there,” said Bisignani.
Alone among Philippine carriers, PAL hurdled the IOSA tests in 2006 and received its certification in February 2007. The national flag carrier is now among 160 airlines worldwide listed on the IOSA registry.“We congratulate Philippine Airlines for achieving this global standard,” said then IATA vice president for Asia-Pacific Andrew Drysdale during the certification ceremony. /MP
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