By EMMIE V. ABADILLA Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and PAL Express have complied with the highest international aviation safety standards and completed their 2019 IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). The IOSA is the safety evaluation system of the International Air Transport As¬sociation (IATA) that assesses the operational management and control systems of an airline. The audit is conducted every two years and is accepted by top government aviation authorities as the gold standard in airline safety assessments. The IOSA audits for PAL and PAL express started in November, 2019 and ended in the first quarter of 2020. PAL has completed its seventh consecutive IOSA renewal, marking 14 years of full international safety compliance. PAL was the first Filipino airline to be IOSA-registered for safety, and for eight years was the sole airline in the country to earn and sustain the distinction.