Minister Orders Strict Safety Checks On Aircraft

[george]

Minister orders strict safety checks on Thai aircraft

BANGKOK: -- Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal has ordered agencies concerned to strictly check safety systems of all Thai aircraft following two foreign plane crashes earlier this week.

Mr. Pongsak told journalists that he had instructed Deputy Transport Minister Gen. Chai-anant Charoensiri to closely supervise Thai airlines and aviation agencies to strictly check the safety systems of their aircraft, particularly passenger planes.

"This is to ensure the safety of passengers on board all Thai planes", he said.

The move followed two passenger plane crashes in Venezuela and Greece earlier this week--one is owned by Helios Airline, Cyprus's first private airline, and the other is owned by Columbia's West Caribbean Airline.

More than 300 passengers, as well as pilots and air attendants died from the two accidents.

Turning to a business loss incurred by Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI), the national flag carrier, Mr. Pongsak said he had instructed THAI's executives to quickly improve the company's internal management, including its accounting and financial systems, as well as marketing strategies so that the company could earn a satisfactory profit in the fourth quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the Ministry of Industry was joining forces with private industrialists to improve and develop the country's entire logistics system, aimed to reduce transport and shipment costs of Thai products.

--TNA 2005-08-19