Thai Airways Australia routes unaffected by alleged heroin case
Chai Eamsiri says Thai Airways is closely monitoring the case while leaving the investigation to the relevant authorities.
- Thai Airways has confirmed that the incident involving its crew has not affected passenger ticket bookings or its flight routes to Australia.
- The airline has not received any new warnings or flight service restrictions from Australian authorities following the arrests.
- The company is treating the case as a matter of individual conduct, and the investigation by relevant agencies is still ongoing.
Chai Eamsiri, chief executive officer of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, said, in an update on the case involving Thai Airways crew arrested by Australian authorities, that information in the case was still changing almost daily because investigations by the relevant agencies had not yet been completed, making it impossible to conclude all the details clearly.
Thai Airways had not become involved in or interfered with the authorities’ investigation process, leaving it to agencies with authority to proceed under their procedures, while the company was only monitoring the situation closely.
On employee discipline, he confirmed that the company already had clear rules and requirements.
If any items were carried for commercial purposes, or if any conduct amounted to a breach of regulations, it would certainly be considered a disciplinary offence, and the company would proceed according to the prescribed procedures.
“I confirm that the company has control measures and communicates continuously with employees about what is prohibited and cannot be done. If anyone is found to have committed a breach, they must face penalties under the regulations, because this case is considered a matter of individual conduct, not a systemic problem within the organisation.”
Chai also said that, as for progress in the company’s internal investigation into the case involving crew arrested in Australia, the process was still underway and had not been completed, so the findings could not yet be disclosed.
However, he said the company would tighten its supervision of employees, having already acted in line with measures announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), which are common guidelines that all airlines must follow.
He confirmed that the incident had not affected Thai Airways passenger ticket bookings and had not affected routes to Australia.
At present, the company has not received any additional warnings or restrictions from Australian authorities concerning Thai Airways flight services.
The company would continue to follow the investigation by the relevant agencies and, if further facts or clear investigation findings emerged, would inform the public in due course.
