Aviation safety command hub welcomed

The tourism industry welcomed the move, as the ICAO’s “red flag” over significant safety concerns could have a serious impact on it and the country’s airline industry if it is not lifted quickly. The red flag was imposed in June.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha exercised his sweeping authority under Article 44 of the junta’s interim charter to appoint the Air Force commander-in-chief to head the CRCA to help the Transport Ministry and Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) resolve the aviation-safety issues quickly.
He said the CRCA would facilitate the ministry’s work, which could have been hindered by legal and other obstacles were it not for Article 44, which gives the junta leader nearly absolute power. This does not mean that the Air Force chief will take over the task, but he will help ensure that the problems are resolved effectively.
“We could not enact laws in one go [as the National Legislative Assembly needs three readings], so we turned to Article 44 to set up this command centre to help the Transport Ministry,” he said.
The CRCA head, who will report directly the prime minister, is empowered to appoint a working committee to work with the Air Force and the DCA, the main agencies responsible for solving the aviation-safety problems.
Some Air Force personnel could be assigned to work on the issues for up to four years, while the CRCA committee has authority to approve salaries and benefits for specialists employed to help implement the measures suggested by the DCA.
Among the measures to comply with the ICAO’s requirements on aviation safety are the use of new safety regulations and manuals that meet international standards and the re-certification of airlines registered in Thailand.
Ittirit Kinglake, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the establishment of the Air Force-led CRCA should help solve the problems faster than the current authorities led by DCA and the Transport Ministry could manage.
“Aviation safety is a very big problem for the tourism sector, so the government should hurry to solve the problems,” he said.
He added that if the government failed to tackle the problems effectively and meet international safety standards in a timely manner, the consequences on tourism would be significant, with major challenges on long-term growth prospects, because foreign tourists might not be confident to fly with Thai airlines.
International arrivals from some countries such as mainland China, Japan and South Korea were affected before and in the aftermath of Thailand being red-flagged by the ICAO, with a growth slowdown since late February as Thai airlines faced restrictions over safety and security issues.
Charoen Wangananont, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), which is responsible for inbound tourism, also expressed support for the CRCA. He said the problems needed effective solutions, and he believed the prime minister would like to solve the problems quickly and the Air Force should be able to make that happen.
The ATTA chief said the move was necessary because the ICAO is scheduled to re-audit Thailand’s aviation-safety regulations by the end of this year, which does not leave much time.