CAAP requires cabin crew to obtain license

MANILA, Philippines – All airlines must require their cabin crew to obtain professional license, said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III said they issued Memorandum Circular No. 30–13, requiring all flight attendants to secure professional license pursuant to Republic Act 9497 or the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR).

CAAP issued the memorandum following the Davao airport mishap involving a Cebu Pacific plane in June.

The memorandum affects all crew members who have accomplished annual recurrent courses from January to June. These courses are required for them to be able to file for license processing, which involves filling out the CAAP Flight Standards Inspectorate Service (FSIS) Form 542.

License validity depends on the holder’s compliance to required competence, as well as satisfactory report on medical fitness.

Read: License for flight attendants required by July

Newly hired cabin crew members must submit their application documents including their certificate of ground training to the Licensing and Certification Department of the FSIS.

They are also expected to have gone through an approved training course and competency in operations and emergency procedures by legitimate airline operators.

The license order was issued following the Davao airport accident involving a Cebu Pacific plane. The plane skidded off the airport runway and its cabin crew failed to deplane 165 passengers within the required 90 seconds.

CAAP did not sanction the cabin crew, saying they were just waiting for orders from the pilots, who failed to declare the situation an emergency. – Rappler.com