Thai govt urged to shore-up aviation competitiveness
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the Thai government of Thailand to urgently address safety, capacity and cost issues to keep Thailand’s aviation sector competitive.
In a statement, Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO, said that safety oversight concerns raised by both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must be addressed.
The US FAA ranks Thailand in Category 2 of its International Aviation Safety Assessment program.
On capacity, with over 50 million annual passengers, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport ranks amongst the top air hubs in the world. But it faces several issues which must be resolved.
On cost, Thailand ranks 35th in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, behind many of its tourism competitors - including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Mainland of China, Malaysia and South Korea.
“In the face of intense competition, Thailand’s aviation competitiveness is being chipped away with various new or increased taxes and charges. It is in Thailand’s long-term self-interest to review and abandon proposals that increase the cost of transportation. That includes taxes or charges,” said Tyler.
