Palace hopes Cebu Pacific mishap won't hinder upgrading of PHL's safety rating

Malacañang is hoping that the mishap involving a Cebu Pacific plane at the Davao International Airport will not hinder the upgrading of the country's rating on the safety standings of air carrier operations.

"I think what happened in Cebu Pacific is not something that you can say systemic. So we will leave it to the inspectors to have an appreciation of what impact that will have," Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said at a press briefing Tuesday.

He added that the plane mishap "should not be a reflection" of the overall operations of air carriers in the country.

On Sunday night, a Cebu Pacific airplane veered of the right side of the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao. The airline has already apologized for the incident.

The incident caused the closing of the Davao airport for over a day, and the cancellation of flights to and from the airport.

In 2008, the US Federal Aviation Administration on the Philippines downgraded its rating on the Philippines from Category 1 to Category 2 due to failure of Philippine air carriers to comply with safety standards.

Two years later, the European Commission also decided to ban Philippine carriers from its airports.

Due to its Category 2 status, Philippine carriers cannot add new routes to the US until all issues are resolved. — Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News