Civil Aeronautics Board

What Civil Aeronautics Board does

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is the Philippine government agency mandated to regulate the economic aspects of air transportation, established in 1947 under Republic Act No. 776 (as amended by P.D. 1462) and attached to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). It holds general supervision, control, and jurisdiction over air carriers, general sales agents (GSAs), cargo sales agents, and air freight forwarders, including their property, equipment, facilities, and franchises. The agency's core outputs are regulatory instruments: Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for domestic carriers, Foreign Air Carrier's Permits (FACP) for international carriers, and Letters of Authority for freight forwarders and sales agents. CAB also performs quasi-judicial functions and enforces the Air Passenger Bill of Rights (Economic Regulation No. 9, as amended), including tarmac delay guidelines through Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001 s.2023.

CAB's service delivery relies on a digital backbone comprising the i.cab.gov.ph online application portal for permit and waiver submissions, a complaints.cab.gov.ph passenger complaint system, on-time performance monitoring published on cab.gov.ph, and publicly accessible industry directories for carriers, freight forwarders, and GSAs. Passenger-facing operations are executed through 30+ Passenger Rights Action Desks (PRAD) deployed across major Philippine airports including all NAIA terminals, Clark, Mactan-Cebu, Davao, and provincial gateways. A 24/7 public assistance hotline (165-66) supplements these channels. The agency employs 132 staff at its Old MIA Road, Pasay City headquarters, led by Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla.

CAB does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded through the Philippine national government budget and charges administrative fees for permit issuance. Its go-to-market is essentially zero — the agency issues mandatory regulatory authorizations rather than competing for customers. Value to stakeholders is delivered through statutory enforcement (Air Passenger Bill of Rights, quasi-judicial dispute resolution), transparency initiatives (on-time performance statistics, industry directories, Freedom of Information participation), and consumer protection infrastructure (PRAD desks, complaint portal, 24/7 hotline). The agency's competitive position is absolute within its jurisdiction by design, as no private entity can replicate its statutory mandate.

Name

Civil Aeronautics Board

Legal name

Civil Aeronautics Board

Website

https://cab.gov.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is the Philippine government agency under the Department of Transportation that regulates the economic aspects of air transportation, issuing CPCN and FACP permits to domestic and foreign air carriers and enforcing the Air Passenger Bill of Rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Regulation

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAOAL

Transportation Regulators (Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Regulatory Agencies & Licensing (Cross-sector)

Keywords

• Air transport regulation
• Civil aviation authority
• Air carrier licensing
• Aviation regulatory agency
• Air passenger rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasay City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Civil Aeronautics Board is a Philippine government regulatory agency that regulates the economic aspects of civil aviation. It issues Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to domestic air carriers, Foreign Air Carrier Permits (FACP) to international airlines, and Letters of Authority for specific routes and operations. It also enforces the Air Passenger Bill of Rights and adjudicates complaints and cases arising from air transport services.

Product overview

Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is a Philippine government regulatory agency attached to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). It is not a technology product company but rather provides regulatory services for air transportation. The agency's core offerings include economic regulation of air carriers through issuance of Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for domestic carriers and Foreign Air Carrier's Permits (FACP) for international carriers. Supporting services include Letters of Authority for freight forwarders and sales agents, enforcement of the Air Passenger Bill of Rights, an online application portal for permit applications, a passenger complaint system, on-time performance monitoring, and publicly accessible directories of industry operators. The agency also performs quasi-judicial functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN)
• Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): The EU's centralized aviation safety regulator that complements national economic regulators in member states. EASA represents a supranational approach that contrasts with CAB's purely national mandate.
• Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC): China's national aviation regulator with broad authority over economic and safety regulation of one of the world's largest aviation markets. CAAC is comparable to CAB as a national regulator but operates at significantly larger scale and scope.
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): The U.S. national aviation regulator overseeing economic and safety aspects of the world's largest aviation market. FAA is comparable to CAB in regulatory function but with vastly greater scope, budget, and international influence.

Regional players

• Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS): Singapore's integrated civil aviation regulator that combines economic, safety, and air navigation functions. CAAS is comparable to CAB as a regional aviation regulator but operates a more consolidated model that has been proposed for the Philippines.
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Australia): Australia's civil aviation regulator primarily focused on aviation safety but also involved in economic oversight of certain aviation matters. Comparable to CAB in its national regulatory mandate within a developed aviation market.
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India): India's civil aviation regulator responsible for economic licensing of carriers and oversight of air transport services. Functionally analogous to CAB's economic regulation role, though operating in a much larger market.
• Transport Canada Civil Aviation: The Canadian civil aviation regulator operating within a federal department structure similar to CAB's relationship with DOTr. Comparable in its national regulatory scope and policy framework approach.
• UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): The UK's integrated civil aviation regulator overseeing economic licensing, safety, and consumer protection. Comparable to CAB's combined economic regulation and Air Passenger Bill of Rights enforcement functions.

Others

• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): A UN specialized agency that sets international aviation standards and serves as the global forum for civil aviation. ICAO is comparable to CAB in mandate area but operates as an international standard-setter rather than a national economic regulator.

Direct peers

• Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP): The Philippine counterpart regulator that handles aviation safety, air navigation services, and aircraft operations oversight. CAAP and CAB together govern the Philippine aviation sector, with CAAP handling safety/operations and CAB handling economic regulation — making them the closest peer in terms of mandate and jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civil-aeronautics-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civil Aeronautics Board