Cebu Pacific Air
re-scheduled its presentation to the European Union (EU) Air Safety
Commission later this year to better prepare for its expansion in the
region.
In a statement, Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president
for marketing and distribution said they chose not to attend the June
26 EU Air Safety Commission meeting last June 26 in Brussels.
The
EU partially lifted a ban on the entry of Philippine carriers after
authorities showed progress in addressing safety concerns.
This allowed the national flag carrier Philippine Airlines to resume flights to Europe.
Iyog
said Cebu Pacific took steps to comply with EU regulations but a recent
incident in which one of their aircraft overshot a runway in the Davao
International Airport showed that they still need to make more
improvements.
Cebu Pacific previously announced long-haul
expansion plans to Dubai and is looking at other regions like the Middle
East, Australia, parts of Europe and the US.
Tourism Secretary
Ramon Jimenez, Jr. lauded the lifting of the EU ban saying it will help
achieve the country’s target of 10 million foreign tourists by 2016.
“The
(lifting of the EU ban bodes well for) the Philippine aviation industry
as this means that the EU now recognizes the Civil Aviation Authority
of the Philippines (CAAP) as a competent agency that qualifies airlines
in the Philippines,” he said.
Jimenez identified the United
Kingdom, Germany and France among the key European markets with stable
tourist arrivals in the country
European tourists numbered
213,598 visitors from January to May this year, an 8.5 percent increase
from the 196,794 in the same period last year. “We expect a significant
increase from these markets, to include those from adjacent countries,
once the PAL flights are made available,” he said.
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net
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