5 Thai airlines fail to meet China's safety requirements

[webfact]

5 Thai airlines fail to meet China's safety requirements

BANGKOK, 13 May 2015 (NNT) -Following a thorough examination, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has found the aviation safety systems of five Thai airlines inadequate.

According to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the airlines in question are Orient Thai, Nok Scoot, Jet Asia, City Airways and R Airlines. The detected flaws involved flight documents, aircraft maintenance and staff.

The examination by the Civil Aviation Administration of China has discovered that documents of flight and aircraft maintenance of the airlines were incomplete. Some of the airplanes were aged above 14, while their maintenance failed to be carried out as schduled. The number of trained staff is also insufficient. The DCA, however, insisted that the airlines could address the problems before the deadline.

In addition to concerns from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country will soon have to handle a new round of challenges. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be observing its aviation safety standards in July, at which time the Thai authorities would still be drawing up aviation safety manuals.

The FAA may impose tougher measures or restrictions on Thai airlines if they fail to pass the FAA’s requirements.


-- NNT 2015-05-13

[uptheos]

Wow, when you can't meet China's safety regulations it's time to ditch the aircraft!

[trogers]

That's from a country that claims it need not follow international standards!

[JOC]

Probably a question about that the Chinese low-cost carriers want a piece of the lucrative pie, that is charter flights between China and Thailand!!

The checking of 5 airlines and the subsequent downgrading was done in one day!!

[lovelomsak]

These things make me wonder about politics.When the yellow shirts closed the Thai airport no planes could come or go. Now they can come and go but not to China,and maybe soon Japan.Are these countries telling them in a very Asian way your airports open but you arenot going anywhere.

[Strangebrew]

What did Thai airways pay to not be listed or checked? GRIN?

[Bluespunk]

" The detected flaws involved flight documents, aircraft maintenance and staff."

​So, everything then?

[The Big Mango]

Who are R airlines ? Never heard of them

[Bluespunk]

Who are R airlines ? Never heard of them

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/R-Airlines

[trogers]

" The detected flaws involved flight documents, aircraft maintenance and staff."

​So, everything then?

It's that "No Fail" policy again...

[ChrisY1]

Who are R airlines ? Never heard of them

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/R-Airlines

Great airline........their freekin planes are 21 years old!!

[EyesWideOpen]

Funny stuff. So China sends an inspection team over, the airlines here

open the books for them, and of course they find irregularities. I guess

China really does have Thailand by the balls. If France said they wanted

to send over an inspection team, Thailand would tell them to piss off...

On a side note, the very concept of China deciding if a public transportation

sector is safe or not, is ludicrous... Money rules all in China, same as here.

[mikemac]

I thought the op was "suss" when I read the words "China's" and "safety" in the same sentence.

I did a few trips to mainland China and was amazed by their apparent lack of safety concerns. Driving on the roads there is insane, although I must say I did a few internal flights there and they seemed ok. It was just getting to the bloody airport that was scary.

[h90]

Funny stuff. So China sends an inspection team over, the airlines here

open the books for them, and of course they find irregularities. I guess

China really does have Thailand by the balls. If France said they wanted

to send over an inspection team, Thailand would tell them to piss off...

On a side note, the very concept of China deciding if a public transportation

sector is safe or not, is ludicrous... Money rules all in China, same as here.

And China is very friendly towards Thailand. No one can complain that it is political motivated. Also no one can complain that these Chinese are overdoing it.

And I am 100 % sure that China tried to settle it before it comes to that and warned them 10 times on unofficial channels.

[zakk9]

Who are R airlines ? Never heard of them

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/R-Airlines

Great airline........their freekin planes are 21 years old!!

Not unusual. Take United Airlines, they have dozens of airplanes that are more than 20 years old.

[tifino]

I think I'd feel safer in a Thai R-Airlines 'plane, than a Chinese Great Wall vehicle travelling at a 10th of the formers' airspeed

[thesetat2013]

I guess article 44 is not getting the expected "when I say jump you ask how high" results Mr. P wanted. Someone needs to crack the proverbial whip before the sh-- hits the fan for real and all the tourist trade suffers. The FAA is going to be a lot stricter with their inspections then China for sure.

[Andrew65]

Who are R airlines ? Never heard of them

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/R-Airlines

Great airline........their freekin planes are 21 years old!!

I'm pretty sure that the service life of an jet-airliner is 25 years. I suppose that would be in a western country, where maintenance schedules are strictly adhered to.

As an example. Thai Airways in recent years was leasing some B777's at $1 million dollars a month. $1 million X 12 months = $12 million X 25 years = $300 million = the approximate cost of a B777 ($300 million) .

Every minute that an airliner spends on the ground, it isn't making money.

But then, as Boeing says, "We build 'em tough".

[nithisa78]

more media, divide and conquer. not much to get the finger pointers riled. Those who could use some personal inventory themselves.

[Digitalbanana]

How about Orient Thai, makes R-Airlines seem possible modern?

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Orient-Thai-Airlines

Orient Thai: Current fleet

HS-UTW 23067 588 Boeing 747-300 started on 16. Oct 2009 = 31.6 Years Old?

[fareastguy]

Probably a question about that the Chinese low-cost carriers want a piece of the lucrative pie, that is charter flights between China and Thailand!!

The checking of 5 airlines and the subsequent downgrading was done in one day!!

If it looks like shit, smells like shit it probably is shit !!

Doesn't take long to figure out a "Richard lll " of an operator !!

[diehard60]

Does not surprise me at all. But what does surprise me is that they did not find all thai airlines not to meet safety standards.

[Thai at Heart]

I thought the op was "suss" when I read the words "China's" and "safety" in the same sentence.

I did a few trips to mainland China and was amazed by their apparent lack of safety concerns. Driving on the roads there is insane, although I must say I did a few internal flights there and they seemed ok. It was just getting to the bloody airport that was scary.

I think you will find that considering the size of the Chinese aviation industry, its safety record has been pretty good for the last 10 years or so. Also bear in mind, a lot of parts are sourced for both airbus and boeing from China, so whilst you moan about safety, you are literally relying on Chinese quality to keep these babies in the air. You think driving in China is insane? Its improved 1000 times over the last 20 years, and people do go to jail for killing other people.

[Tchooptip]

One stage left , when can't meet North Corea's safety regulation

[ezzra]

Oh boy,,, if they have failed even the Chinese tests, they must be pretty shitty airlines,

mined you the chines aren't the most sticklers for details around...

[johninbkk71]

These things make me wonder about politics.When the yellow shirts closed the Thai airport no planes could come or go. Now they can come and go but not to China,and maybe soon Japan.Are these countries telling them in a very Asian way your airports open but you arenot going anywhere.

What?

[Jim walker]

and that's from China airways which is like the Indian railways of the sky, and all this is after Junta generals sorted out the safety and maintenance issues with Thai air

[Jimbo1964]

I've a friend who is a pilot and he was telling me about the lack of maintenance on Thai planes, both commercial and cargo. Their engineers do not follow international guidelines on maintenance, they swap parts from plane to plane, forge records and when they find something they can't handle, they ground the planes and Thai Airways has many planes just sit there, worth billions of baht. Then they rent other planes.

He pilots 747's and told me that one of the planes he was assigned to fly was undergoing a C check which requires it to be placed in a hanger because its a major maintenance job. Takes about 2 weeks to complete apparently. However the plane sat on the tarmac for 2 weeks, wasn't touched or moved to a hanger and then it was sent back in full service with all the paperwork signed to verify the C check was completed. Needless to say he refused to fly that plane and is now looking to move back to Europe.

Anyone interested might want to read this article http://www.eturbonews.com/58480/reason-behind-thailand-s-air-safety-problem

If you have to fly choose another airline!

[Suffinator]

And once the FFA step in it'll get much worse. No doubt Prayut will wave his magic wand and they'll be another crackdown shortly followed by TAT announcing another round of record breaking tourist numbers.

At least you know which airlines to avoid but anything that is Thai operated should be avoided at all costs. Wouldn't fly with Thai Airways if they gave me free lifetime 1st class tickets.

[masuk]

Who are R airlines ? Never heard of them

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/R-Airlines

18.6 years old???

well at least they're now of legal age!!!