AsBAA Philippines chapter update

The AsBAA Philippines chapter continues its planning of the AsBAA x ECCP Aviation Summit. Recently, AsBAA Philippines and executive team met with Airbus, law firm Quisumbing Torres, SITA, and others to strategize and discuss updated agendas and topics for the planned Aviation Summit scheduled for 27-28 September 2023 - particularly in light of recent severe incidents and accidents involving the country’s air navigation system’s power outages and two recent fatal aviation accidents involving GA aircraft.

The former accident involved a single-engine GA aircraft that went missing an hour after it took off from Cauayan Domestic Airport on 24 January and has still not been found. The latter accident involved a twin-engine GA aircraft that also went missing shortly after take off on 18 February, and wreckage remains were later found on the slopes and near the crater of the (active) stratovolcano Mt. Mayon. The latter flight carried two Filipino pilots and two Australian passengers who were consulting for Energy Development Corp. These recurring fatal accidents are just one of the reasons AsBAA continues to be committed to organize its renowned Safety Days throughout the region each year. AsBAA is leading the Aviation Summit’s events committee on the event’s aviation safety and aviation accident prevention topics and initiatives. Stay tuned for more critical updates on this important industry and safety event of the year.

Context:

Last year, AsBAA lobbied actively in support of the unification of two bills in the Philippine Congress that, if ratified by Congress and signed into law by former President Duterte, would have created the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB). AsBAA reviewed both bills and formally corresponded with the Philippine House of Representatives and Senate, and conveyed the importance of having a national transportation safety board independent of the Department of Transportation to carry out independent accident investigation to facilitate the continued, sustainable growth of the Philippine's aviation industry and economy. The two bills, House Bill 9030 and Senate Bill 1077 were successfully ratified, but was later vetoed by the former President. In light of recent events and mishaps, AsBAA is currently working on helping revive this bill and will keep its members updated on this progress.