Regular flights from Thailand still allowed to Japan, Transport Min says



BANGKOK, 27 March 2015 (NNT) – The Transport Minister has confirmed that Japanese authorities will not be reducing the number of scheduled flights operated by Thai airliners, stressing that there will be no flight cancellations.

The Minister of Transport ACM Prajin Juntong has revealed that scheduled flights from Thai airliners will continue operating in existing destinations to Japan as normal. Flights will not be allowed to make any alternations, while all chartered flights are now prohibited to enter Japan.

This prohibits operators of airlines in Thailand to Japan, namely Thai Airways, Thai Smile, NokScoot, and Air Asia X, from opening new routes, changing the port call, aircraft type, and requesting to increase the operational frequency during the summer schedule.

The Transport Minister has said that this new condition will inevitably affect the aviation business during April to May, as the demand for air travel is expected to increase due to school break.

This prohibitions come from the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) safety audit report, that evaluated the performance of the Civil Aviation Department as below international standards, on the licensing of the Air Operator. Thailand has a 90 day time-frame to solve the problem, with the deadline scheduled in May.

Japan has decided to prohibit all charter flights of Thai carriers to Japan, in response to this report.

For the urgent solution of this matter, the Transport Minister has said that the Ministry of Transport, The Civil Aviation Department, and Thai Airways will clarify their operations to other countries, showing that all operations are done in accordance with the ICAO standards.

He has said that he expects the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) to be lifted from Thailand as the country is working to solve all issues, with the latest budget provided from the cabinet intended to hire more officials, improve the Beta Base systems, and to amend related laws.

A working committee on this issue has been urged for the revision of the current working plans. The Civil Aviation Department is now considering the improvement of its operation and action plans, all of which to be checked for the progress in a meeting next week, according to the Transport Minister.

The Minister of Transport has admitted that he was letdown by Japan's reaction, prior to ICAO’s official conclusion in May. He also expressed his confidence that this matter is not related to the current political situation in Thailand.


-- NNT 2015-03-27

The Minister of Transport has admitted that he was letdown by Japan's reaction, prior to ICAO’s official conclusion in May. He also expressed his confidence that this matter is not related to the current political situation in Thailand.

No, it's related to Thailand's greed, ignorance, and false sense of superiority. A report in BK Post reported that these airlines could only pass 21 of the 100 requirements of International Standards.

They say that they do not have enough qualified inspectors !

Why not hire qualified personnel from the airlines industries from other countries to resolve part of the problems

. Oups ! I forget, they can not do that !

They do hire GM foreigners in the Hotel Industry !

They say that they do not have enough qualified inspectors !

Why not hire qualified personnel from the airlines industries from other countries to resolve part of the problems

. Oups ! I forget, they can not do that !

They do hire GM foreigners in the Hotel Industry !

They rather be prohibited to fly other to countries than hire foreign qualified personell and Loose face - what a culture

They will not even hire a foreign Chief Pilot for Thai Airways (thats how ingrown they have become)

"The Transport Minister has confirmed that Japanese authorities will not be reducing the number of scheduled flights operated by Thai airliners, stressing that there will be no flight cancellations."

But the number of flights have been reduced, whatever charter flights that have already been planned are now not able to fly to Japan. And this is face-saving spin trash because having charter flights suspended is a big deal. The actions taken are to freeze the operations of Thai airlines as is, because they cannot be trusted. Its just one step less severe than not allowing Thai carriers to fly to Japan at all.

"For the urgent solution of this matter, the Transport Minister has said that the Ministry of Transport, The Civil Aviation Department, and Thai Airways will clarify their operations to other countries, showing that all operations are done in accordance with the ICAO standards."

So the plan is to do absolutely nothing except try to trick everyone into thinking Thailand passed the audit.

It was nice knowing you Thailand.

Disregarding the fact that there might be room for safety improvement this looks like the inofficial market protection we find more and more workdwide to keep foreign products or services from a country. Either flights from Thailand are safe, then these countries should accept all flights from Thailand or they are not safe then no flight should be allowed to touch down. Anything in between is stinky.

Either the ICAO standards (UN Agency) are important, in which case non compliance should result in all Thailand operated aircraft being grounded world wide, or they are not important.

To comply with only 21 out of a 100 requirements, and to have been advised about the issue in 2005 and yet not to resoved the problems, seems a rather sloppy (Thai) approach.

I wonder to what extent the Japan/ S.Korea actions are as a result of a quite word from thier major benefactor, aimed at showing their benefactors displeasure with a certain person in power.