CLARK FREEPORT – The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has assigned 10 of its personnel to help AirAsia-Phil. secure an Airline Operating Certificate (AOC), allowing the new airline based in Clark to immediately launch commercial flights after it failed to take off last December.

CAAP Director General Ramon S. Gutierrez on Tuesday said “it’s up to (AirAsia)” if they could fly beginning February using their two brand-new A-320s planes.

He spoke with Punto during the ground-breaking ceremony of the $50 million aviation training school jointly owned by the Canadian-based CAE and Cebu Pacific Air (CPA).

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano expressed optimism that AirAsia Phil. could launch flights next month after it started “probing flights” earlier this week to Singapore and areas south of the country.

Gutierrez said Air-Asia failed to meet all the requirements in chronological order based on the certification process.

The CAAP official said Air-Asia had submitted a “manual” required in Step 1 which was the same used by “the Malaysian airline.” He was referring to AirAsia’s sister company, AirAsia-Berhad which flies regularly to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia via the Clark International Airport (CIA).   

“AirAsia (Phil.) is a new airline. They have to have their own manual and we are helping them get it done,” said Gutierrez. He added that AirAsia Phil. should have trained its personnel first as stipulated in Step I.

 AirAsia Phil. was set to start its planned inaugural run on December 15 but it was not allowed.

Its two brand-new planes had been reportedly bleeding the company from rental of a Clark hangar since the first plane arrived in October. It failed to get through the Flight Standard Inspectorate Service (FSIS) headed by Capt. Elmer Peña.

FSIS is the CAAP’s branch office that issues certificates of registration and airworthiness of aircraft, air carrier operating certificate, air agency certificates, and certificate of airmen licenses, such as pilots, cabin crew, flight inspectors, and check pilots.

 Gutierrez earlier said that in processing AirAsia Phil’s permits, the government wanted to make sure that it will not jeopardize the pursuit of Category 1 rating.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2008 downgraded the country to Category 2 status because of allegations of wholesale issuance of AOC’s and other malpractices.

The subsequent investigations impacted on some ranking officials of the defunct Air Transportation Office (ATO).

AirAsia Phil. is 60 percent owned in equal partnership by Maan Hontiveros, Antonio Cojuangco Jr., and Michael Romero.

The rest or 40 percent is owned by AirAsia Berhad through its wholly owned subsidiary AirAsia International, Inc.

AirAsia’s Phil. is scheduled to fly to Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok in Thailand), Incheon in South Korea, Kalibo in Aklan, and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, according Hontiveros, who is set to meet with Pampanga-based journalists on Thursday.

AirAsia Phil. officials failed to comment on Gutierrez’s statements after they were informed through their officers based in Clark on Tuesday afternoon.