Aviation agency to talk with Korea, China after Japan eases restrictions
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HAVING SECURED an easing of Japan's restrictions on Thai charter flights into that country, the Thai Department of Civil Aviation will talk with South Korea and China next to achieve similar cooperation.
“Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau and Thailand’s Civil Aviation Department are now talking about cooperation. Both sides aim to solve aviation-safety concerns and development connectivity between the two countries. Details of the talks cannot be disclosed at the moment but an agreement is expected soon,” DCA |director-general Somchai Piputvat said yesterday.
He said he would leave soon for South Korea to explain how his agency would respond to concerns expressed recently by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He is also scheduled to visit China on Wednesday for the same purpose.
The Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) and the DCA are to sign a memorandum of understanding on aviation cooperation and development at the conclusion of the talks. The pact will likely allow charter flights from Thailand to enter Japan for two months under certain conditions.
Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong said the JCAB would increase its scrutiny of Thai airlines. Airlines based in Thailand, both charter services and scheduled flights, will be subject to JCAB safety checks and will not be allowed to add more routes, increase frequencies, or change routes or aircraft. These restrictions will be in place until at least May 31.
Addressing shortcomings
Prajin said the two-month grace period would allow Thailand to address shortcomings in its civil-aviation system cited by the ICAO. The DCA will conduct reviews of the licences granted to Thai Smile, Thai VietJet, and Jet Asia.
He said it had been around 30 days since the DCA was given a 90-day grace period to comply with the ICAO’s standards and the Transport Ministry was doing everything in could to improve the standards before the deadline 60 days from now.
China recently joined South Korea and Japan in restricting Thailand-based airlines because of the safety concerns highlighted by an international audit.
“The Transport Ministry is doing the best we can to improve the CDA’s structure, personnel and regulations to increase safety confidence, while the external effort that involves China, Korea and Japan is ongoing and the progress is positive,” he said.
