DCA approves collection of service fees for training flights
The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has approved the collection of service fees - averaging Bt158 to Bt371 a flight, or 20 per cent of the commercial rate - for training flights, effective March/April 2014.
Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt said the first-ever collection of aviation facilitation service fees is aimed at curbing a possible influx of foreigners who may take advantage of Thailand’s no-fee policy under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
The fee collection will only add Bt5 million per year to the revenue of the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand.
The DCA will set the aviation service fee and other special discounts for training at airports not congested by commercial flights, such as Bo Fai Airport, Nakhon Phanom and Nakorn Ratchasima.
The government’s policy is to support Thailand’s efforts to become an aviation training hub in Asean while shifting training flights away from congested commercial airports, such as Don Mueang (where discounted aviation service rates are not available).
The aviation facilitation service fees will be: Bt158- Bt371 per flight for cross-country flights, comprising an en route charge of Bt105 per flight and terminal charge of Bt70-Bt354 per flight, and Bt266 per time of landing and takeoff at Don Mueang Airport (Bt26 for Hua Hin Airport and free for U-tapao Airport).
The flight training aviation facilitation service fee is set at no more than 20 per cent of the commercial flight rate as training flights typically involve many takeoffs and landings per day, which will mean higher costs if rates were not discounted.
Each pilot trainee has to spend nearly Bt100,000 per flight-training curriculum, the transport minister said.
A typical flight training course will involve 220 hours of flight session, comprising 90 flights (trips) and 170 times of fly-over, which will cost each pilot trainee about Bt18,683 to Bt56,000 in expenses.
