The FAA announcement comes after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations body which regulates international aviation standards, flagged up significant concerns about Thailand’s aviation safety in March this year.
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The FAA lowered Thailand’s rating to a “category 2” -meaning that its civil aviation authority was deficient in one or more critical areas, or that the country was lacking legal or regulatory oversight of airlines in keeping with global standards. While Thailand’s current carriers can continue service to the United States, no new service between the two countries will be approved by the FAA until Thailand fixes its problems.
In response to the FAA’s decision, Thailand’s prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, ordered a swift overhaul of his country’s aviation systems.
But Thai officials remained optimistic that the United States doiwngrade does not pose immediate business impact on the Thai aviation industry, as THAI has halted its services to the USA since October.
Mr Arkhom said his ministry is stepping up efforts to tackle the safety concerns pinpointed by the ICAO and will use the findings of the FAA, EASA and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau as guidelines to rectify the problems and improve Thailand’s aviation safety standards.
The FAA downgraded Thailand’s aviation administration after an investigation found that the country “lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum worldwide standards”.
Aviation specialist Ellis Taylor of Flightglobal said a move by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) against individual Thai airlines would have an impact on Thai Airways as well as Bangkok Airways.
“The US isn’t really a large market for them nowadays”, he said.
THAI also has a host of European airline partners, under code-sharing agreements, as well those of the Star Alliance airlines, which feed their passengers to routes operated by THAI.
The European Aviation Safety Agency is due to announce the results later in December of its audit.
Thai Airways no longer flies to anywhere in North America, after axeing its sole transpacific route, between Bangkok and Los Angeles, in October (see news, July 23).
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“Thai confirms its commitment to aviation safety standards, and assures all that Thai operates with the highest global aviation safety standards”, the statement added.
