P C Air Operation Licence Suspended

[webfact]

PC Air operation licence suspended

BANGKOK, Oct 26 -- The Department of Civil Aviation has suspended the operation licence of PC Air until the private-owned airline clarified how its only plane was grounded leaving passengers stranded at South Korean airport.

The Department Director General Voradej Harnprasert said that PC Air submitted a request for charter flight operation licence for November but the Department would not approve the licence until all problems have been settled.

Under Thai aviation law, the licence for charter airline must be renewed every month.

He said the Department wanted a report from PC Air on the incident last week and information from the PC Air agent which was responsible for its financial transactions and also information from the oil company.

The Department wanted to make sure that there would be no repeat of such an incident in the future, he said.

A PC Air charter flight was grounded in Seoul last week over delayed payment of airport refueling expenses, which left hundreds of passengers stranded at South Korea's biggest airport of Incheon.

Mr Voradej earlier told reporters that an investigation found that the private-owned Thai airline owed money for aircraft fuel so no oil company was available to refuel the aircraft for taking off and returning to Thailand. The fuel bill was around Bt10 million.

The director general said that on Monday, the Ministry of Transport would appoint a working group to investigate the issue and he expected that PC Air executives would come to discuss the issue with the department. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-26

[rheinwiese]

about time

[Payboy]

The director general said that on Monday, the Ministry of Transport would appoint a working group to investigate the issue and he expected that PC Air executives would come to discuss the issue with the department.

If they don't have 10 million Baht to pay the fuel bill, I don't think they can bring anything to the "discussion".

[batblaster]

10 million ? wow... How they can make money ? 100 peoples with a ticket of 25000 is 2.5 million. also if they had a full booking with about 300, 400 peoples they can't pay the bill.

[asiawatcher]

I don't know jack sh*t about aviation but one plane doing a run to Korea and back - say every second day, using in excess of USD350,000 in fuel? Where did that figure come from?

[swifty5x5]

Who in their right mind would open a business, like a charter airlines, that would have to renew it's licence every month?

Edited October 26, 2012 by swifty5x5

[Fuschia]

Who in their right mind would open a business, like a charter airlines, that would have to renew it's licence every month?

A thai crook convinced he would just have to bribe a civil servant to get the license renewed.

[rakman]

Who in their right mind would open a business, like a charter airlines, that would have to renew it's licence every month?

It's one key to making a $million in aviation. Start with a $billion and make an airline.

[jerrysteve]

WOW! If they have to make delayed payments for fuel, they must be having financial troubles...

Its scary to think about it, but that probably also means they do not have the money to do proper maintenance

And thats a major RED FLAG

A flying COFFIN.

Edited October 26, 2012 by jerrysteve

[webfact]

Talks scheduled in wake of PC Air fiasco

BAMRUNG AMNATCHAROENRIT

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Tourism, part of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, next week will hold talks with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to seek ways to work together to secure the tourism-industry outlook.

The move came after troubled PC Air recently left 456 Thai passengers stranded at Incheon International Airport in Korea, posing a threat to the tourism industry's image and travellers' confidence.

Anuparp Kasornsuwan, the Tourism Department's deputy director and also acting director-general, said a memorandum of understanding on the joint effort would make clear the roles of the two state agencies. Up until now they have worked independently, though some events have been of concern to both. As a result, solutions have not been of enough practical use to the people affected.

However, he partly put the blame for this on legislative barriers that do not allow the two agencies to work on problems effectively.

Under the proposal, the DCA should provide information to the public on airlines. Also, it should keep airlines' standards high to ensure passenger safety on every trip.

PC Air is a case study. The Korean-based airline has only one aircraft for charter flights between Seoul and Bangkok. Safety risks could emerge if the plane is worked too hard.

Although the DCA has the power to ground an airline when troubles occur, this does not seem a productive solution. Such a move would create a wider impact on the industry.

Anuparp said his department would also define clearly its role in controlling travel agencies. They will be registered legally so the department can check background information to prevent problems.

Also, both parties will discuss the cost of damages, to make clear whose responsibility these will be in the future.

Anuparp acknowledged that the department had trouble solving problems efficiently as it has to involve other state agencies, including the ministries of Interior and Commerce.

-- The Nation 2012-10-27

[Sing_Sling]

Yet the airline blames their Korean agents for not paying . . . Thai lies/face around the world

[Payboy]

So the "strategy" to hire transvestites didn't support their bottom line then. Maybe they should think of an alternate strategy now, like serving elephant dung coffee.