The local airlines can now fly to more destinations in the United States as it regained its Category 1 status from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The aviation consultancy CAPA Center for Aviation said in a report that the upgrade opens up short-term expansion opportunities for Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines (PAL) with both carriers having the option to further expand their trips to in Europe
The United States is home to three million Filipinos. PAL already has flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii and Guam, while Cebu Pacific has no presence in the US market.
The Category 1 safety rating was granted last week by the FAA six years after the Philippines satisfied the US agency’s requirements. The previous Category 2 prevented Philippine carriers operating in the US from expanding operations and blocked the entry of new players.
