Philippines seeks to regain FAA Catergory 1 rating within a year

Philippines' Transport Department undersecretary for Civil Aviation and Railways Glicerio Sicat stated the Philippines is "hopeful that we will be able to get back the FAA's Category 1 rating within the year or early next year" (abs-cbnNEWS.com, 25-Apr-2011). The Philippines is hoping to regain its Category 1 aviation safety status with the help of a former US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) executive, Tim Neel, hired by the government. The Philippines was downgraded by the FAA to Category 2 in 2008 after a safety audit conducted in Nov-2007 found some policies of the local aviation sector to be below international standards.