The Civil Aeronautics Board of the Philippines (CAB) has formally endorsed the Illegal Charter Reporting System (ICRS) developed by the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) following a partnership that commits to cooperatively combat the systemic issue of illegal charters in the region.
AsBAA is a non-profit association representing business and general aviation entities based in Asia and around the world. Its members include major aircraft manufacturers, operators, aviation service providers, law firms, and financial and insurance providers. Through AsBAA, members obtain support with operational challenges and in turn, also support the greater advancement and development of the business and general aviation industry in Asia.
“It is a great honor to welcome CAB as AsBAA’s government agency partner to AsBAA’s ICRS. Illegal air charter operations pose a serious safety and economic hazard to legitimate operators and the traveling public. AsBAA has in the past worked with the CAB and aims to work aggressively with their office to identify potential illegal operators and educate industry stakeholders and end-users about the regulations that apply to charter operations. This formal partnership between AsBAA and CAB is a historic milestone — a first for the industry, and we look forward to producing meaningful results with the CAB,” according to Patrick Roa, Chairman of the AsBAA Philippines Chapter and a member of the AsBAA Board of Governors.
The CAB is a Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) attached agency tasked to regulate, promote, and develop the economic aspect of air transportation in the Philippines.
“This partnership is very important to us, as we do not want the traveling public to be treated unsafely or unfairly. We are committed to coordinating with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and our National Bureau of Investigation to pursue illegal charter operators. It has to be a cooperative effort on the part of the private sector and government. I hope this will be the start of a fruitful cooperation between the government and AsBAA,” said Atty. Carmelo Arcilla, Executive Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board of the Philippines.
AsBAA is a signatory to the Air Charter Safety Alliance — a joint initiative launched in 2020 to combat illegal charter and address a growing concern among members and industry around the globe. This year, AsBAA launched its Illegal Charter Task Force and Illegal Charter Reporting System — a first-of-its-kind initiative in Asia aimed at directly addressing and combating the serious threats to air charter and the public that are often difficult to identify due to the use of deceptive and convoluted agreements.
The AsBAA ICRS is supported by a sub-committee of legal advisors led by global law firm HFW, partner associations, government agencies, and members of the press.
[In photo, Left to Right: Patrick Roa, Chairman of AsBAA Philippines Chapter and member of the AsBAA Board of Governors; Atty. Carmelo Arcilla, Executive Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board of the Philippines; Max Motchmann, Vice-Chairman, AsBAA Board of Directors.]