European regulators confirmed all Philippine carriers have now been given the green light to apply for routes to fly to Europe after updating the air safety list for the country.
The EU decision means the remaining seven Philippines’ carriers are clear to fly to Europe after flag carrier Philippines Airlines and low cost carrier Cebu Pacific were separately permitted to ply routes to Europe during the last two years.
The seven new carriers include the Philippine unit of AirAsia.
Currently these airlines only serve domestic and Asian routes but EU diplomat Lubomir Frebort said it will nevertheless give the country’s airline sector a boost.
"European tourists will be encouraged to use low-cost carriers in the Philippines now," boosting the number of visitors who will want to fly around the archipelago."
"This is truly breaking news since it is the first time that the entire aviation sector of one country is removed from the European Air Safety List," Frebort added.
The positive review of the airlines comes after a five-strong team of EU inspectors visited earlier this year.
However the news is not so rosy in neighbouring Indonesia.
EU regulators upheld the ban on all but three Indonesian carriers from operating in EU airspace.
One of these includes Lionair, one of the country’s largest carriers and among the world’s fastest growing regional airlines.
