Phuket Air Threatened With ‘severe Measures’

[george]

Phuket Air threatened with ‘severe measures’ over safety breaches

BANGKOK: -- The Transport Ministry has threatened the low-cost airline Phuket Air with the temporary suspension of operations unless is resolves safety breaches which have led to bans in both the UK and the Netherlands.

Speaking after the UK became the latest country to slap a ban on the plagued airline, Deputy Transport Minister Mr.Phumtham Vejjayachai said that the Ministry of Transport had ordered inspections on all Phuket Air flights since last month.

Although the airline suspended its operations to London on 15 April, the UK ban came only days ago, after passengers complained that they had seen aviation fuel leaking from their aircraft when it touched down in the United Arab Emirates. The plane was delayed by several hours as a result. There have also been previous problems involving pilot licenses.

Mr. Phumtham said that unless the airline could demonstrate better safety procedures for its fleet, the ministry would have to step up its punitive action, possibly by suspending operations for three months.

He noted that the incident had served to damage the reputation of all Thai airlines.

--TNA 2005-05-08

[system7]

thankgod for that, i was on the plane from bangkok to sharjah.. delayed a few hours??

more like 80..

Edited May 8, 2005 by system7

[DaveYo]

Interesting, now its dog eat dog and cut throat time.

Wonder who survives this battle.

Daveyo

[sparky38]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame

[mfindlay]

Friend of mine came over to the UK in December by Phuket Air, or rather didn't. The flight was delayed at BKK for 12 hrs. When she kicked up a fuss telling then she had a business meeting in the UK and she would want compensation if she didn't get there. They transferred her and about 15 others who were near her to Thai Air she arrived 28 hrs late. Poor girl had to fly back with Phuket though. Might be cheep but is it worth trading safety for it.

[sparky38]

did your friend get any compo in the end

i got delayed 25 hours from gatwick in jan and when i wrote to complain and try an get some compo they didnt even bother replying to me

[Totster]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame    

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just pay the extra and use Thai...

totster

[sparky38]

I thought thai had stopped their route to buriram and only phuket air ran that service now

[Rinrada]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame    

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just pay the extra and use Thai...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or Aeroflot,Bin Man even Iraqi Air......

[Totster]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame    

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just pay the extra and use Thai...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or Aeroflot,Bin Man even Iraqi Air......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eh... they fly to Buriram...

totster

[married2surin]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame    

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just pay the extra and use Thai...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or Aeroflot,Bin Man even Iraqi Air......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eh... they fly to Buriram...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thai fly to buri ram ???? I don't thnk so

Edited May 8, 2005 by married2surin

[jokinha]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame    

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just pay the extra and use Thai...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or Aeroflot,Bin Man even Iraqi Air......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eh... they fly to Buriram...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thai fly to buri ram ???? I don't thnk so

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Totster]

Will the ban include internal routes and if so how am i gonna fly to buriram now to see the misusses family..........oh dear what a shame    

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just pay the extra and use Thai...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or Aeroflot,Bin Man even Iraqi Air......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eh... they fly to Buriram...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thai fly to buri ram ???? I don't thnk so

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well if they don't now ... they used to..

totster

[pauls999]

Hi,

I flew back to the UK on Phuket Air, it should have been on the 27th Jan but the flight was cancelled for technical reasons though we were put up at the airport hotel for the night. 24 hours later we board the plane and just as it was about to commence take off the captain annouces there is a warning light come on and we have to go back to the terminal to check it out, that is not the sort of thing you want to hear before flying 6000 miles, delayed for 45 mins and a nerve racking take off. These planes are old (ex KLM) and do not appear to have a good maintenance record judging by the number of people that are saying they have had problems with cancelled flights, technical problems and alike it, so it's a good job to hear that they could well be grounded before something more serious happens

[john b good]

So whats new. Phuket Air is a 10th rate airline amongst many 3rd and 4th rate airlines in the realm.

The Thai authorities are saying get yourself sorted out otherwise we will suspend you for three months whilst the UK and the Netherlads have banned Phuket air.

The Thai authorities have not to my knowledge released the official investigation report on the crash at Surat Thani which took over a hundred lives about 5 - 6 years back. Why didn't they release it ? because it might have hurt some ones feelings.

Phuket air is perhaps the worst of a bad bunch but what about Bangkok Air and Orient Thai AND even THAI. None of them would stand up to the scrutiny of say BA, QANTAS, SIA, Emirates, KLM, and not by a long shot either. And THAI whilst not bad in the service area they don't hold a candle to SIA, and Emirates.

[sparky38]

and you gotta ask the question why such a shoddy outfit with planes older than the ark have been granted such a premium route.

surely the uk authorities have to be answerable too

[tomallison]

I use Phuket Air from Mae Sot quite often to Chiang Mai And Bangkok. That is definitely the only Airline to /from Mae Sot (once daily) What to do if we lose that?

[mr_lob]

i phoned Phuket Air yesterday to try and get a flight from Krabi to BKK on thursday and was told that they have a flight on Tuesday. I said 'that's no use, when is the next one'?

Reply: 'Finit'......

[maerim]

I use Phuket Air from Mae Sot quite often to Chiang Mai And Bangkok. That is definitely the only Airline to /from Mae Sot (once daily) What to do if we lose that?

Stay alive perhaps?

[steverino]

So whats new. Phuket Air is a 10th rate airline amongst many 3rd and 4th rate airlines in the realm.

The Thai authorities are saying get yourself sorted out otherwise we will suspend you for three months whilst the UK and the Netherlads have banned Phuket air.

The Thai authorities have not to my knowledge released the official investigation report on the crash at Surat Thani which took over a hundred lives about 5 - 6 years back. Why didn't they release it ? because it might have hurt some ones feelings.

Phuket air is perhaps the worst of a bad bunch but what about Bangkok Air and Orient Thai AND even THAI. None of them would stand up to the scrutiny of say BA, QANTAS, SIA, Emirates, KLM, and not by a long shot either. And THAI whilst not bad in the service area they don't hold a candle to SIA, and Emirates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[steverino]

Can't say I agree with that generalisation.....Thai have a good sevice record in the UK, Europe and the US, and BKK Airways are excellent and very professional too. There is no proof of either of these two not being well maintained. In Fact I wonder what conditionn KLM gave these planes to Phuket Air in? They are widely known to be a stingy company, KLM standing for Korte Loon Maatschaapij (eqivilent of bad salary company). Makes me wonder what KLM's aircraft are like now. I flew with them for 8 years, probably on these same aircraft, and never doudted their condition at the time, but now.....?

As for the Surat accident, I think it was officially Pilot era, as he made 3 approaches when 1 shopuld have been enought to do a divert to Phukhet or Nakhon sri.

[Mr. Majestyk]

Friend of mine came over to the UK in December by Phuket Air, or rather didn't.  The flight was delayed at BKK for 12 hrs. When she kicked up a fuss telling then she had a business meeting in the UK and she would want compensation if she didn't get there.  They transferred her and about 15 others who were near her to Thai Air she arrived 28 hrs late. Poor girl had to fly back with Phuket though. Might be cheep but is it worth trading safety for it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unless they delayed more than one plane in BKK (not beyond the realms of possibility), I was on the same flight as mfindlay. However I was one of the unlucky ones that was stuck for 26 hours until the originally scheduled plane was ready for departure. I wrote a very angry letter of complaint and like you didn't even receive an acknowledgement. It has to be only a matter of time before these cowboys are closed down. If the authorities don't do it then surely the word will get around and kill the business.

[steverino]

I heard a rumour somewhere which I think some of you could verify, that the owner of Phuket Air is also the owner of the Anderman Club Casino at Victoria Point. If all you who want to make a complaint send your letters there they might reach him instead of some bored admin assistant in the airlines' offices, who has probably been instructed to Bin all letters such as yours. His name is probably easy to find out from recent press stories. That place makes a fortune too!!

[astral]

I thought  thai had stopped their route to buriram and only phuket air ran that service now

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn't know Buriram had an airport, let alone an air service.

We live and learn.

[parhorne]

i have posted before re the ownership of this airline as a friend of mine was instrumental in setting it all up to move gamblers in and out of the andaman club , but was then booted out when questions on maintainance costs became loud, the ownership wanting to cut costs to a minimum as per thai style, the man is a senator so it will be difficult to pin anything on him, but this is just what phuket needs after the tsunami, when the tabloid reading public get faced with the headlines of " phuket " unsafe, as they wont bother to read that the airline has nothing to do with phuket but the mud will stick. sad really.

[Mason45]

Thai Transport Ministry threatens Phuket Air for safety breeches, how gracious of them. In all top level departments threats are not issued on hearsay and rumours but on cold hard facts presented to the department responsible. So in this case Phuket Air shoulded be grounded immediately and should not be re issued a permit to fly until all safety guidelines and procedures are met and put them on notice the repercussions for them if they want to flaunt aviation rules in the future.

The Thai Government is paranoid about tourism, a major disaster is what they dont need putting the pieces together after Tsunami.

[mpdkorat]

or Aeroflot,Bin Man even Iraqi Air......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eh... they fly to Buriram...

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Never deliberately

[DaveYo]

When Phuket Air got these planes FYI they were warned to maintain these planes because of its age. The owner was well aware of what he purchased.

He would have been much better off getting those in the Navajo Desert which is well known to all airlines the Boneyard for all the retired planes or repo aircraft that was previously owned when those companies went bankrupt.

In fact believe it or not, many airline companies trade in planes that have a lot of flying hours in for those in the boneyard that have had some service and some hours that got repo from the creditors. All they do is refit them with the latest equipment and rechecked over, and presto get the FAA Certification of airworthiness and their back in business.

The cost savings is astronomically high. they have a lot of L1011's sitting there as well as 737 and soon to be 717's and of course the MD-80 -90 aircraft and 747 and 757 and the DC-10.

Also to note they have just about all the 707 there too, and today those are valuable, but those planes eat fuel like there is no tommorrow.

You can buy a 707 for around 150,000 out the door as is or less depending if they want to make room or what deal you negotiate with in getting that plane. Now you have to refit it with the latest approved instruments, and of course get rid of those jet engines and put in the more modern fuel efficient engines.

The retrofit and the rebuilt engines and tanks and X-ray and the insides refitted to suit your tastes will cost you about another 250,000 tops.

After that you got your own plane. However you need funds to get fuel to fly it.

John Travolta has one, but he does not use it that often and knows it can get quite expensive just flying it around. I do believe He only uses that plane for long hauls. Also He did not replace the orginal engines and put in the noise suppressors only to barely meet the noise requirements. Once airborne, he turns them off and the noise is standard.

Most people might opt in getting the Lear Jet. Cheaper and more efficient and can be fitted to go longer range if you sacrifice cargo space to some extent for extra tanks.

If I was able to get any of these planes, I would first try to get the Lear (extra range deal) or go to the bone yard and get a plane suited to my needs. With this then I can pretty much fly where ever I want to go.

So I believe Phuket Air's days are numbered and will shut down, cause the PR will be very hard to overcome let alone get the confidence of passengers to return back to them.

Once the reputation gets damage, it pretty much dooms the airline.

Daveyo

[chuckygobyebye]

Yes, Phuket air and Victoria Casino are owned by the same guy.

I know someone who has worked at a few Thai airlines and she says...

Don't fly Phuket or Orient Thai as they find it cheaper to bribe the safety inspectors than to maintain their planes.

Phuket air is on the ropes. The owner charged one of his mates/trusted luitenants to go to the middle east and buy a new plane. Turns out the guy took the suitcase of money or whatever and ran off with it.

[cdnvic]

Phuket air is perhaps the worst of a bad bunch but what about Bangkok Air and Orient Thai AND even THAI. None of them would stand up to the scrutiny of say BA, QANTAS, SIA, Emirates, KLM, and not by a long shot either. And THAI whilst not bad in the service area they don't hold a candle to SIA, and Emirates.

Bangkok Airways flies a fairly new fleet, with some new airbuses joining just recently. Thai has a decent record safety-wise, and a reasonably modern fleet.

Phuket, and Orient Thai fly alot of third world cast offs. Believe it or not, the troublesome aircraft they've had problems with are their newer 300 series 747s. They are still flying ancient 100 and 200 series around the far east.

cv