Thailand Aviation: Hong Kong based airline not safe for passengers

[webfact]

Thailand Aviation: Hong Kong based airline not safe for passengers

BANGKOK: -- Thailand needs tourists, but safety is always first. Aviation authorities in Thailand have revoked landing rights for City Airways, and yesterday the airline - which has been operating regular flights since October 2012 - asked Hong Kong to cancel its parking slots at Chek Lap Kok airport.

Safety concerns and worries over lax aircraft maintenance forced the grounding of a Hong Kong-backed regional airline that has left hundreds of holidaymakers from the city stranded in Phuket, Thailand, Thai officials have said.

"We were concerned about passenger safety following a report that revealed that City Airways has not been following proper procedures during maintenance on their planes," Santi Pawai, the director of the ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket office, told the Phuket Gazette yesterday.

The latest developments effectively ground the airline as it can no longer use three of the five airports it serves, Hong Kong, Phuket and Bangkok's Don Mueang International. Flight schedules for the two mainland airports it serves - Nanchang Changbei International Airport and Nanjing Lukou International Airport - do not mention City Airways.

Full story: http://www.eturbonews.com/49089/thailand-aviation-hong-kong-based-airline-not-safe-passengers

-- eTN 2014-08-14

related topic:
Airline strands 300 Chinese tourists at Phuket Airport
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/751074-airline-strands-300-chinese-tourists-at-phuket-airport/
 

[canopus1969]

Hope the passengers have good travel insurance

[jpinx]

Hats off to the authorities in preventative action !

 

[than]

Thailand well react in this case.... It seen that City Airways not follow international standard for Aircraft maintenance.

[harrry]

Actually travel insurance generally does not cover this kind of stranding.  Rather silly but that is how it is.as an example from the Covermore conditions:

 

10. claims arising from the failure of any travel agent, tour operator, 

accommodation provider, airline or other carrier, car rental agency 

or any other travel or tourism services provider to provide services 

or accommodation due to their Insolvency or the Insolvency of any 

person, company or organisation they deal with.

 

 

There are other clauses that let them out too.

[seabass69]

I don't understand the second part of the first sentence...something about safety, or something?

[ChrisY1]

According to Wiki....City Airways has it's headquarters in Bangkok....not HK as noted.

It's owned, as reported here in TV a couple of days ago, by Thai and Chinese investors.................

So just guessing, the maintenance costs are obviously a little scary for these guys.....

[harrry]

Thailand Civil Aviation say it is licenced to fly so it may be just an excuse of a failing airline.

[NongKhaiKid]

According to Wiki....City Airways has it's headquarters in Bangkok....not HK as noted.

It's owned, as reported here in TV a couple of days ago, by Thai and Chinese investors.................

So just guessing, the maintenance costs are obviously a little scary for these guys.....

HAECO the aircraft engineering company based in Hong Kong has a good reputation and many international airlines as customers but given Hong Kong prices won't be cheap.

 

Too often The Bottom Line is the bottom line.

[tso310]

Incorporated in Thailand, head office in Huay Kwang. Not the first Thai airline to be shut down due to poor maintenance. Remember the Phuket Air on it s way to London and the fuel leaking out of the wings. Thai Orient (One-2-Go parent) its B747s being banned from the US and Europe due to incomplete maintenance records.

Edited August 14, 2014 by tso310

[asdecas]

"...safety is always first".

Am I on the same planet as Thailand? And this twaddle on a day when a young child is electrocuted by an ATM.

[CTO]

ThaiOrient/One2Go still has a 747 parked at Udon, never to fly again I suspect

[wileycoyote]

Good article

[Dah fahrang]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/751621-thais-cabin-factor-down-to-702-in-july/

 

the cynic that I am simply can't help it.

Force out one of your competitors..........

[Lupatria]

Thailand needs tourists, but safety is always first.

Is this a joke? What about derailing trains, hundreds of bus accidents, boot accidents, collapsing buildings, food poisoning etc. etc. Clean up your own mess first before pointing fingers...

[catweazle]

Made in China

[Ricardo]

Wikipedia describes it as being "an airline in Thailand" with two B734s, and says "Its main hub is Don Mueang International Airport."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Airways

 

While eTN describes it as "a Hong Kong-backed regional airline", I wonder where their maintenance was being done ?

 

http://www.eturbonews.com/49089/thailand-aviation-hong-kong-based-airline-not-safe-passengers

 

Aviation is a very hard industry for small start-ups like this, it looks like the recent downturn in travel between the two countries may have claimed a victim, before it could grow larger and establish reserves.

[Assurancetourix]

ThaiOrient/One2Go still has a 747 parked at Udon, never to fly again I suspect

 

Desappear a long time ago;

don't know where they parked it...

Maybe gone to a collect scrap mill ?

There is a big one on the four lane to go to Sakon Nakhon, right side...

[Krataiboy]

Thailand Aviation: Hong Kong based airline not safe for passengers

BANGKOK: -- Thailand needs tourists, but safety is always first. 

 

 

WELL, NEARLY ALWAYS . . .

 

 

 

Airport Rail Link repair pushed back until late next year

BANGKOK, 14 August 2014 (NNT) - SRT Electric Train Co. operator has announced that the planned maintenance of Airport Rail Link trains has been postponed until October next year.

[mrtoad]

Incorporated in Thailand, head office in Huay Kwang. Not the first Thai airline to be shut down due to poor maintenance. Remember the Phuket Air on it s way to London and the fuel leaking out of the wings. Thai Orient (One-2-Go parent) its B747s being banned from the US and Europe due to incomplete maintenance records.

Phuket airways, that's going back a bit - was that around 2005 or 2006 when they were stranded in the ME with the fuel leaking over the wings? 

 

One 2 Go - had that bad crash in Phuket as well.

[chainarong]

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ThaiOrient/One2Go still has a 747 parked at Udon, never to fly again I suspect

 

Desappear a long time ago;

don't know where they parked it...

Maybe gone to a collect scrap mill ?

There is a big one on the four lane to go to Sakon Nakhon, right side...

 

 

2 parked up at Phitsanulok without motors,  the army brought them for troop / cargo but nothing has  happened for years

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

 

 

 

HAECO the aircraft engineering company based in Hong Kong has a good reputation and many international airlines as customers but given Hong Kong prices won't be cheap.

According to Wiki....City Airways has it's headquarters in Bangkok....not HK as noted.

It's owned, as reported here in TV a couple of days ago, by Thai and Chinese investors.................

So just guessing, the maintenance costs are obviously a little scary for these guys.....

 

Too often The Bottom Line is the bottom line.

 

This vague statement indicates that  Thailand asked HK to cancel landing slots, so that indicates that it is Thai owned ,good responsible outcomes and shows sometimes that someone is taking charge, just how far this airline has flown without due diligence inspections and proper maintenance,  is anybody's guess. 

[lvr181]

Good to see proactive and not reactive! Well done.

[h90]

Made in China

 

The same as your TV, your mobile phone, your computer mainboard, most of your tools, etc etc

China produce good and bad quality up to what you pay for.

[h90]

Hats off to the authorities in preventative action !

 

 

Well maybe, could be. Or they just failed to pay the "fee" or a competitor paid something......

Or it could be real....who knows?

[Ricardo]

Good to see proactive and not reactive! Well done.

 

If only  ...  City Airlines had been reported as stranding 300 Chinese tourists in Phuket, about a week ago, "when the charter aircraft that was supposed to pick them up broke down in Bangkok."

 

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/751074-airline-strands-300-chinese-tourists-at-phuket-airport/

 

And also  "This is not the first time City Airways has had delays; it recently had a similar issue, stranding passengers at Bangkok’s Don Meuang Airport." 

[lvr181]

 

Good to see proactive and not reactive! Well done.

 

If only  ...  City Airlines had been reported as stranding 300 Chinese tourists in Phuket, about a week ago, "when the charter aircraft that was supposed to pick them up broke down in Bangkok."

 

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/751074-airline-strands-300-chinese-tourists-at-phuket-airport/

 

And also  "This is not the first time City Airways has had delays; it recently had a similar issue, stranding passengers at Bangkok’s Don Meuang Airport." 

 

 

Damn - I was so hopeful of a cultural shift in dealing with problems. Que sera sera

[northernjohn]

 

Made in China

 

The same as your TV, your mobile phone, your computer mainboard, most of your tools, etc etc

China produce good and bad quality up to what you pay for.

 

 

You will never convince a cheap Charlie of that.