THAI receives EASA certification
Thai Airways International today announced that it passed the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Third Country Operator (TCO) Audit and received authorisation for flight operations to countries in the European Union.
TAHI President Charamporn Jotikasthira said that the authorisation took effect from December 15.
The audit was conducted in November.
The authorisation, the first granted by the EU to a non-European airline, is one of the requirements for non-European airlines to obtain the traffic rights or permit to fly to destinations in the EU from November 2016 onwards.
Currently, THAI operates flights to 11 destinations in Europe: London, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Brussels, Munich, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, Zurich, Milan, and Rome.
Charamporn noted that the airline has continually maintained high safety standards and in May 2015 launched the Safety Beyond Compliance Project to enhance the highest safety standards in the aviation industry based on EASA standards.
The authoritisation was extended amid international community’s concerns in Thailand’s aviation safety standards. The US Federal Aviation Agency earlier downgraded Thailand's aviation safety rating, prompting Thai airlines to Category 2, which means Thai airlines will be banned from opening new routes to the United States or expanding existing ones.
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