PAL To Expand as EU Removes It from Blacklist
AINONLINE by NEELAM MATHEWS With removal from the EU’s safety black list, PAL can now fully justify its acquisition of Airbus A330s (below) along with A321s. (Image: Airbus) July 11, 2013, 12:28 PM Philippine Airlines ( PAL ) has become the Philippines’ first and only carrier removed from the EU air safety black list, an operating ban imposed three years ago within the 28-state European Union ( EU ). Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has begun to reassess the Category 2 rating it issued to PAL in 2009. Category 2 carriers cannot start new services to the U.S. FAA safety inspectors arrived in the Philippines a few weeks ago, leaving PAL executives hopeful that they can soon proceed with plans to expand services into the U.S. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines ( CAAP ) director-general William Hotchkiss said raising safety standards had r...