The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
(CAAP; Filipino: Pangasiwaan ng Abyasyon Sibil
ng Pilipinas) is the national aviation authority
of the Philippines and is responsible for
implementing policies on civil aviation to
assure safe, economic and efficient air travel.
The agency also investigates aviation accidents
via its Aircraft Accident Investigation and
Inquiry Board.
Formerly Air Transportation Office, it is
a government-owned and controlled corporation
attached to the Department of Transportation
for the purpose of policy coordination.
== History ==
Legislative Act No. 3909 passed by the Congress
of the Philippines on November 20, 1931 created
an Office under the Department of Commerce
and Communications to handle aviation matters,
particularly the enforcement of rules and
regulations governing commercial aviation
as well as private flying.
It was amended by Act 3996 to include licensing
of airmen and aircraft, inspection of aircraft
concerning air traffic rules, schedules and
rates and enforcement of Aviation Laws.From
1932 to 1936, there were no standard procedures
as to the licensing of airmen, registration
of aircraft and recording of various aeronautical
activities connected with commercial aviation.
There were attempts made to register planes
and their owners without ascertaining their
airworthiness and to record names of pilots,
airplane mechanics and other details.In 1933,
the office of Technical Assistant of Aviation
matters was enlarged into the Aeronautics
Division under the Department of Commerce
and Industry, the functions of which were
embodied in Administrative Order No. 309,
a joint Bulletin issued by the Department
of Public Works and Communications and the
Department of Finance.In October 1934, Act
4033 was passed to require a franchise from
the Philippine government in order to operate
an air service and to regulate foreign aircraft
operations.On November 12, 1936, the Congress
of the Philippines passed Commonwealth Act
No. 168, better known as the Civil Aviation
Law of the Philippines which created the Bureau
of Aeronautics.
After the liberation of the Philippines in
March 1945, the Bureau was reorganized and
placed under the Department of National Defense.
Among its functions was to promulgate Civil
Aviation Regulations.On October 1947, Executive
Order No. 94 which reorganized the government
transferred the Bureau of Aeronautics to the
newly created Department of Commerce and Industry
and renamed Civil Aeronautics Administration
(CAA).On June 5, 1948, Republic Act 224 created
the National Airports Corporation which was
charged with the management and operations
of all national airports.On June 20, 1952,
Republic Act No. 776, otherwise known as the
Civil Aeronautics Act of the Philippines reorganized
the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Civil
Aeronautics Administration.
It defined the powers and duties of both agencies
including the funds, personnel and the regulations
of Civil Aviation.On January 20, 1975, Letter
of Instruction No. 244 transferred to the
Department of Public Highways the responsibilities
relative to airport plans, designs, construction,
improvement, maintenance as well as site acquisition.
The responsibilities related to location,
planning design and funding were later returned
to the CAA.On July 23, 1979, under Executive
Order No. 546, the CAA was renamed the Bureau
of Air Transportation (BAT) and placed under
the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.On
April 13, 1987, Executive Order No. 125-A
renamed the Bureau of Air Transportation the
Air Transportation Office headed by the Assistant
Secretary of Air Transportation.On March 4,
2008, the Civil Aviation Authority Act of
2008 was signed into law which replaced the
Air Transportation Office with the Civil Aviation
Authority, an independent regulatory body
with quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative
powers with corporate attributes
== Divisions ==
The Aircraft Accident and Inquiry Investigation
Board (AAIIB), a division of the CAA, is the
air accident investigation authority of the
Philippines.
== FAA and EU downgrades and other controversies
==
On January 17, 2008, the United States Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the
Philippines' rating to Category 2 from Category
1, since its Air Transportation Office (Philippines)
(ATO) did not fully satisfy international
safety standards.
Consequently, Philippine Airlines' (PAL) president
Jaime Bautista stated that its 2008 growth
targets would be lowered.
After emerging from eight years of receivership
the previous year, PAL was prevented by the
FAA decision from increasing US flights from
33 per week.
Then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dismissed
acting Air Transportation Office chief Danilo
Dimagiba after the downgrade and designated
Department of Transportation and Communications
Secretary Leandro Mendoza as concurrent Officer
in Charge of ATO.
Also, the Embassy of the United States in
Manila warned US citizens in the Philippines
"to refrain from using Philippine-based carriers
due to 'serious concerns' about the ATO's
alleged mishandling of the aviation industry."
Dimagiba blamed lack of funds for the FAA
downgrade, alleging that ATO needs Php 1 billion
($1 = Php 40), roughly around $25,000,000.Effective
April 1, 2010, the European Union, following
the FAA's lead, banned Philippine carriers
from flying to Europe.
Asia Times reported, "EU ambassador Alistair
MacDonald said: 'The commission considers
that the supervisory authority is currently
not able to implement and enforce the relevant
safety standards, and decided therefore to
ban from EU airspace all air carriers licensed
in the Philippines until these deficiencies
are corrected.'"On June 19, 2010, important
navigation equipment at the Manila airport
maintained by CAAP failed.
The VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) used by
aircraft for navigating to and from the airport
stopped working due to heavy rain and there
was no available replacement.
One had to be brought from another airport.
== See also ==
List of civil aviation authorities
== References ==
== External links ==
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
