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.