One To Go Suspended By Airline Authority

[LivinginKata]

This is an interesting follow up to last weeks news that One Two Go planeed to suspend operations for 2 months due to financial problems. Move it seems like they are actullaly being forced to cease MD 80 ops, and just look at the pilot documention aspects ....

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

One-two-go, Orient Thai hit by 30-day flight suspension

BANGKOK (Nation): One-Two-Go and Orient Thai Airlines risk seeing their aviation licenses revoked if they fail to tackle the defects that led to the suspension of their flight services today.

That possibility comes amid growing concerns about the airlines’ safety standards.

About 40,000 passengers on their booking lists will be affected by the 30-day flight suspension starting today and will receive combined compensation of 70 million baht. They can also opt to be transferred to other airlines operating on the affected routes.

“Orient Thai and One-Two-Go are the second group to face service suspension after Sky Aviation,” Civil Aviation Department Director-General Chaisak Angkasuwan told a press conference yesterday.

“All defects must be solved within 30 days. In case of negligence or incomplete action, the department can further suspend the service or revoke the licenses. The department will file criminal suits against their pilots, inspectors and the companies in two weeks.”

Breaching the Aviation Act, they are liable to no more than six months imprisonment, a 1,000-baht fine or both.

Udom Tantiprasongchai, owner and CEO of both airlines, has vowed to continue in business despite the trouble. He said One-Two-Go was negotiating with a consortium of investors from Hong Kong, the US and Singapore who operate aviation and other businesses in Asia.

One-Two-Go will increase capital and be upgraded to a full-service carrier, so as to compete with rivals, including Thai Airways International, he said. Orient Thai will serve as a cargo and charter flight operator.

One-Two-Go last week said it would suspend services for two months because of financial losses, but the Civil Aviation Department yesterday announced it had suspended the two airlines’ certificates as low-cost carriers for 30 days. They operate with eight MD-80 Series and seven Boeing 474s. All eight MD-80 Series aircraft must be grounded until all defects are corrected; the Boeing 474s can continue operation.

The department will also suspend the licenses of One-Two-Go’s seven pilots – six Indonesians and one Venezuelan – due to false documentation. Two Thai pilots have also been suspended for 30 days on a similar charge.

The Civil Aviation Department said One-Two-Go’s defects lie in a lack of self-quality assurance and quality assurance on leased aircraft. The lessee, Orient Thai, is not allowed to breach safety standards, particularly on scheduling and poor administration. Orient Thai also has no staff of its own and is assisted by One-Two-Go staff.

Moreover, One-Two-Go trained Orient Thai’s pilots with an unwarranted MD-80 series training program. Orient Thai’s training does not follow the manual and the airline submitted false documentation for the pilots’ efficiency tests.

One-Two-Go’s safety standards first came into focus when its plane crashed at Phuket International Airport last year. Lawyers for the British and US families of the 90 victims are seeking UK£125 million (8.32 billion baht) in compensation in US courts in a case that may shed a harsh light on the cost-cutting and safety standards of some budget airlines.

[donna]

now THAT is scary!

false documentation for the pilots efficiency tests!

but whats this: Breaching the Aviation Act, they are liable to no more than six months imprisonment, a 1,000-baht fine or both.? i doubt that a 1,000thb fine will hurt them!

[anthonyu]

Boeing 474s? surprised that one got through the editors at the nation.

[LivinLOS]

So now we find out 1 2 Go were not suspending flight because of cost reasons as they originally made out..

http://www.investigateudom.com/timeline.php

Confirmed Information from the "black box" and a synopsis of the events.

Cause of Crash: "Flight Crew Error"

Worst Mistake: For 15 seconds, both pilots failed to observe the idle thrust setting during the attempted go around

Contributory Causes of the Crash:

(likely incomplete)

Failure of crew coordination

Failure to follow standard procedures

Failure of the Captain to maintain control of his cockpit

Failure to recognize indications of windsheer

Failure of both pilots to maintain situational awareness

Failure of the company to provide proper training

Fatigue

Failure of the company to comply and adhere to regulatory standards

__________________

Who is GrandMax Group Ltd? This history of the aircraft shows it was leased by One-Two-Go and owned by GrandMax Group Ltd. GrandMax Group Ltd is a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company. BVI is one of those places you incorporate when you want complete anonymity and avoidance of taxes. Unfortunately, anonymity requires no one knows you, which runs counter to the execution of business.

Ms. Wang Chung Wei is a director of GrandMax Group Ltd. Ms. Wei is also known as Ms. Nina Tantiprasongchai, Udom's wife.

It looks like the hull insurance on the aircraft will actually provide a profit to the Tantiprasongchais vastly in excess of the amount they are offering the families of the victims.

[Ping]

...and another one bites the dust...

[LivinginKata]

So now we find out 1 2 Go were not suspending flight because of cost reasons as they originally made out..

Read carefully ...

"One-Two-Go and Orient Thai Airlines risk seeing their aviation licenses revoked if they fail to tackle the defects that led to the suspension of their flight services today."

Seems to me that they are 'saving face' by voluntery suspending flight IN ADVANCE of having flight licence revoked. It's a mote, but very important point.

[chiang mai]

That scares the s**t out of me, is there nothing in this country that can be trusted.

[LivinLOS]

So now we find out 1 2 Go were not suspending flight because of cost reasons as they originally made out..

Read carefully ...

"One-Two-Go and Orient Thai Airlines risk seeing their aviation licenses revoked if they fail to tackle the defects that led to the suspension of their flight services today."

Seems to me that they are 'saving face' by voluntery suspending flight IN ADVANCE of having flight licence revoked. It's a mote, but very important point.

Without wanting to pick a fight perhaps alos 'read carefully' as the link I listed quotes

# July 18, 2008: SHUT DOWN!...

Udom attempts to blame the fuel prices for the shutdown when, in fact, the One-Two-Go MD-80 fleet had their Airline Operating Certificate (AOC) revoked for a month or two (if that). Even the Thai reporter doesn't believe Udom's explanation.

# July 21, 2008: Opps, It Wasn't Really About Fuel $$

The new Director General of the DCA contradicts Udom and confirms the One-Two-Go shutdown for 56 days is due to pilot error causing the crash and "checks by the pilots" (that'd be fraudulent check rides, see June 4 above) were not being carried out properly.

That in turn links to the BKK piece.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/210708_News/21Jul2008_news008.php

Pilot error caused the fatal crash in Phuket last year and was the reason behind the grounding of One-Two-Go airlines, Chaisak Angsuwan, the director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, said yesterday.

His statement contradicted one from the budget airline on Friday, which cited problems including rising oil prices and strong competition as the need to temporarily cease operations and ground all eight of its MD 80 series planes.

Looks like they knew they were going to get a pilot error grounding and in a massive lieing face saver tried to make it about oil prices in thier press release !!

[LivinginKata]

LOS, we are both thinking same way. no problem

[phuketrex]

Disturbing documentary talking to former One2Go pilots and the airline owner here>>> http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-au&brand=...:-1:ind:1:ff:8A