MANILA – Philippine Airlines will continue to fly to the United States, although under certain restrictions, despite the downgrading of the country to a Category 2 safety rating by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).
PAL president Jaime Bautista said, “Being the only Philippine carrier to fly to the US, we have a responsibility to our passengers to maintain US operations in spite of the Category 2 rating.”
All Philippine airlines will be affected by the Category 2 rating which requires PAL to maintain a status quo of its current services to the US.
“We lament the FAA’s decision. We will do everything we can so our loyal trans-Pacific passengers will not be inconvenienced by any effects of Category 2,” said Bautista.
Under Category 2, PAL is prohibited from increasing its 33 flights a week to the US and its territories, and from changing the type or increasing the number of aircraft used on these routes.
The PAL president also expressed concern on the negative effect of Category 2 on PAL’s plans to open services to San Diego, New York and Saipan.
