AsBAA's recent Safety Day in Manila was attended by officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Philippines (CAAP), the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), IBAC and around 220 members of the association's business aviation community.

Chairman Zhendong Wu said: “The AsBAA Safety Days are core to our mission to promote safety best practice across Asia. We advocate the adherence to international standards in Asia, set by bodies including IBAC. We prioritise education on the risks of illegal grey charter and the use of uncertified spare parts. In parallel, AsBAA works with governments across Asia to ensure smoother processes that encourage buy-in and compliance through the supply chain.”

The Philippine Department of Transportation undersecretary Manuel Antonio Tamayo shared updates, including the commitment to address congestion issues experienced by Ninoy Aquino International airport by developing Sangley airport in Cavite for general aviation, turboprop and cargo operations. Tamayo shared that the CAAP has improved its rating on the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme from 58.91 per cent in 2016 to 70.19 per cent in 2018, above the world average of 64.85 per cent. In addition, the government announced that it has set an internal goal of getting 75-85 per cent safety rating for the 2020 ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission Audit.

In addition, new communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) systems have been introduced in the Philippines to improve traffic flow. To further this mandate, the government announced that it is scheduled to procure ground-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, an Air Traffic Flow Management system and ACDM system to integrate with the CNS/ATM system.

Undersecretary Tamayo concluded: “The government will always be glad to welcome initiatives promoting aviation safety. I believe that AsBAA's Aviation Safety Day will not only create awareness but also effectively communicate the need for cooperation among stakeholders in order for us to remain steadfast in improving the Philippines' standing in the international aviation community. The Philippines has 86 airports, many of which are serviced by general and business aviation operators, helping transport VVIPs and supporting industries such as oil and gas, mining and agriculture among others. It is, therefore, worthy to recognise general aviation's contribution to the economy and the aviation industry.”

Sustainability was also addressed. IBAC secretary general Kurt Edwards said: “The biggest and most important technology to reduce our aviation carbon footprint is through sustainable aviation fuels. Technology is available now and can be dropped into current aircraft. It works. We have seen five different pathways certified by ASTM that are feedstock neutral. Non-petroleum-based feedstock to create this fuel is available, provided standards are followed.”

During a panel session on the risks of illegal charters, executive director Carmelo Arcilla of the Philippine CAB said: “Grey charter is dangerous. It undermines the industry, jeopardises the safety and welfare of the public. It also compromises the business of legal charters because these illegal operators can undercut the regular operator's prices, yet they do not undergo the tedious process of certification.” The issue of grey charters has been central to AsBAA's series of Safety Day events since the programme launch in 2016.

Other presentations raised issues relating to emergency response planning and safety culture. Former vice chairman of AsBAA Gary Moran said: “Safety is very important for underwriters, especially in a hard market environment; it's key to ensuring long-term stability.” Embraer's Fabio Bonnet spoke of the need for complete adherence to safety practices while relying on one's personal values, experience and training when flying. And CAAP safety management system/safety manager for traffic service Arlene Gentica added: “The Philippines, through CAAP's transition to the CNS-ATM system, is the first country among Thales subscribers in southeast Asia to shift from 'paper strip' to 'strip-less' environment in the management of air traffic.”

In his keynote, 'How Do You know You Are Safe?', Gulfstream former vice president for operations Randy Gaston explained how simplicity is key to maintaining safety in aviation: “It's not the complex stuff that kills us; it's the simple stuff. Safety starts from running the checklists and going through the everyday things. Uncertainty is always present. Constant vigilance is always required.”

The day ended with a networking event hosted by one of the sponsors, INAEC Aviation Corporation. The event was also supported by Embraer Executive Jets, World Fuel Services, Jet Aviation, Aon, ACTSI, Airbus, MedAire, Omni Aviation, Arayat Aero Club and Universal Entertainment.