Cebu Pacific (CEB) is naturally disappointed with the European Union’s (EU) decision to blacklist all Philippine airlines from flying to the EU.

This decision was taken based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Significant Safety Concern issued in December, 2009 and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgrade to Category 2 in January 2008, both issued after audits on their regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Cebu Pacific wants to assure all their passengers that they continue to maintain the highest standards of safety in all areas of their operations. Their Safety and Quality Management Systems are built to global best practice standards.

In 1999 Cebu Pacific became the first airline in the world to achieve system-wide International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification. Cebu Pacific has since then gained the upgraded ISO9001:2000 certification in 2003 and the ISO 9001:2008 in 2009.

Cebu Pacific fully supports the efforts of Director General Alfonso Cusi, who was appointed on March 10th,2010, and will continue to work actively with the CAAP to help them address the findings of the ICAO and US FAA audits.

Additionally, Cebu Pacific has received positive feedback from our their submission to the EU Air Safety Commission specifically they have said “The Commission acknowledges the efforts by Cebu Pacific to ensure safe operations and also recognizes that they have put in place internal measures to enhance safety.”

As a result of their submission Cebu Pacific has been selected to undergo an audit of their operations by the Commission and the European Air Safety Agency which will take place in May 2010.

The EU has advised that they will review their blacklisting decision at their next scheduled meeting, in June 2010.