Red flag prompts Thai AirAsia X to suspend its Sapporo flights

[webfact]

Red flag prompts Thai AirAsia X to suspend its Sapporo flights
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THAI AIRASIA X has become the first victim of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)'s red flag for Thailand's aviation safety, as its route to Sapporo in Japan would be temporarily suspended from August 1.

Nadda Buranasiri, chief executive officer of the long-haul low-cost airline, said the situation had prompted the carrier to put on hold its newest service - a daily, direct Bangkok-Sapporo flight.

The ICAO on Thursday had red-flagged Thailand, citing significant safety concern (SSC) that might affect passengers travelling with airlines registered in Thailand.

Nadda added that the situation is regrettable because Sapporo is a high potential destination with year-round travel attractions. As a result, the airline had to issue an apology to all passengers who had previously booked flights to travel from Bangkok to Sapporo from July 31 and from Sapporo to Bangkok from August 1.

Once the aviation safety situation returns to normal, the Bangkok-Sapporo route will be revived.

"We will continue to fly to Tokyo and Osaka in Japan and Seoul in South Korea as scheduled as they are routes Thai AirAsia X was granted approval to serve before the ICAO's latest safety concern.

"We will continue to offer promotional fares to stimulate travel," Nadda said.

Thai AirAsia X is providing full support and cooperation to the Thai government so that it can quickly remedy the situation.

At present, the airline has been able to secure temporary permission from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to fly from Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport to New Chitose Airport of Sapporo, Japan daily to minimise the negative impact on passengers.

AirAsia X (Malaysia) has also assisted by providing supplementary flights since May 1.

Passengers with bookings on flight XJ620 Bangkok-Sapporo from July 31 and XJ621 Sapporo-Bangkok from August 1 will have the option to switch to an earlier travel date at no expense, change destination, transfer to other flights, or receive full refund.

According to Tassapon Bijleveld, chief executive officer of Thai AirAsia, the Thai tourism sector currently faces two major challenges - the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and the ICAO red flag over aviation safety concerns.

Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said that other airlines had maintained their operation plans, as they had got approval for flight schedules ahead of the ICAO's aviation safety issue.

The minister said he would report to the Cabinet today about the latest developments and the progress on solutions to the safety concern issue.

A Cabinet approval will also be sought for the restructuring of the Department of Civil Aviation as part of the master plan to tackle the issue.

Revision of aviation and related laws are under way and are expected to be complete in October this year to ensure that Thailand's regulatory and operator roles in the aviation sector are separate and they meet international standards for various aviation services to passenger, freighters and others.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Red-flag-prompts-Thai-AirAsia-X-to-suspend-its-Sap-30262889.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-23

[BigBadGeordie]

And so it begins, but, we were told there was nothing to worry about;-)

[Oziex1]

"Thai AirAsia X is providing full support and cooperation to the Thai government so that it can quickly remedy the situation."

Doesn't really inspire confidence, how about full support and cooperation to the ICAO's requirements.

[Srikcir]

I can see the Junta forming another SUPERBOARD to investigate the problems. After much ado Prayut will announce a Roadmap to Commercial Aviation Sustainability, invoke Article 44 to demote and promote people, and put all the blame on ICAO for not "understanding."

The Junta government keeps getting bigger and more useless.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

I can see the Junta forming another SUPERBOARD to investigate the problems. After much ado Prayut will announce a Roadmap to Commercial Aviation Sustainability, invoke Article 44 to demote and promote people, and put all the blame on ICAO for not "understanding."

The Junta government keeps getting bigger and more useless.

Oh so this is the fault of the Junta and nothing to do with the carriers not following proper maintenance and safety standards? This problem has existed for years, long before the Junta came into power.

[Jimlove]

Who´s gonna be next in line to shut down routes ... ? Its gonna be a bloodbath in thai aviation

[webfact]

Thai Airlines Cancel Flights, Delay Plane Purchases Due to UN's Red Flag
By Khaosod English


An aircraft operated by Thai Airasia X at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, 13 June 2014 [Prachachat]

BANGKOK — Thai airlines have canceled flights to northern Japan and indefinitely delayed plans to buy new planes after Thailand's aviation safety ranking was downgraded by a United Nations agency last week.

Nadda Buranasiri, an executive of Thai Airasia X, says the company will no longer offer flights to Sapporo, Japan, from 1 August onward. He told reporters yesterday that the cancellation was because the "aviation situation between Thailand and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has not yet returned to normal, so it affects our plan to service passengers in this route."

The ICAO marked Thailand with a "red flag" on 18 June, denoting the Thai Department of Civil Aviation’s failure to properly monitor and enforce safety protocols of airlines based in the Kingdom. The downgrade followed the ICAO's warning in March that airlines operating from Thailand were falling short of global safety standards.

Although Airasia is headquartered in Malaysia, the company has two subsidiaries - Thai AirAsia and Thai Airasia X - that are registered as Thai airlines. Nadda said the flights to Sapporo may be resumed if the ICAO and Thai authorities manage to resolve the issue.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1435037937

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-23

[CNXBKKMAN]

Air Asia are safe enough to continue their flights to Tokyo and Osaka with no problems but ICAO safety concerns have caused them to suspend daily Sapporo flights( a winter sports destination) in August. Seems to me the route isn't working out as well as hoped.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I believe, it's an issue of newly requested/added flights vs ongoing, already operating routes.

Thus far, the red flag from ICAO hasn't caused any disruptions to commercial flights on existing routes.

But the aviation regulators in other countries apparently are in a different situation when it comes to new routes being sought by Thai carriers, such as the new Sapporo route.

I gather, it's kind of like being on probation, meaning for Thai airlines, the aviation regulators in other countries won't stop them from doing what they're already doing, but they're not going to let them expand so long as the red flag is being held against their base-country.

[jpinx]

Another classic case of the "creeping incompetence" that afflicts so many operations which try to work in the "style" of their home country but on the international field. It's not just Thailand, but this has been brewing for years, it's not a new problem. If anyone is to blame it's ICAO for allowing it to get so bad that a ban is required. Everyone in international aviation knows the rules but in the interests of cost-saving they all work to "minimum possible compliance". Now it's up to ICAO to show it's teeth with more random inspections and specific penalties for infringements. A blanket ban does not really weed out the people to blame.

[Chao Lao Beach]

The Thai DCA has been a laughuing stock for a long time.

Folks converting to a Thai License can contest to that. Their Human factors "exam" is totallay rediculous,

Edit - removed a statment regarding bribes after some friendly advice

What makes it worse is that ICAO's Asian office is in Bangkok, have known for decades the going ons, and it took them this long to do anything.

After sayng that , THAI from all accounts does pretty good in indipendant audits for saftey, which is a good thing. I have no issue getting on a THAI flight personally.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Chao Lao Beach

[jpinx]

The Thai DCA has been a laughuing stock for a long time.

Folks converting to a Thai License can contesrt to that. Their Human factors "exam" is totallay rediculous, Edit - removed a statment

After sayng that , THAI from all accounts does pretty good in indipendant audits for saftey.

As I said above - it's not just Thai -- don't forget the pilot competency issues with the San Francisco flight. Some countries are issuing licences to people based almost completely on simulator work, but who could barely do a circuit in a 172

[tigermonkey]

And so it begins, but, we were told there was nothing to worry about;-)

It is only the thin edge of the wedge. Next month the Unites States FAA will initiate a full safety audit of aviation in Thailand including AOT which owns and operates the airports in Thailand. However AOT is owned by DCA which is responsible for all regulation and supervision of aerodromes - massive conflict. This is what ICAO is talking about, when they talk about separation of regulation and operations.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....tantamount to terrorism.....

...like the criminal fishermen....at an international level.......

...hope the international community responds....

...cancel your orders...there must be penalties to pay......

...enough of this 'illegal Thai way......or no way'......

...from the streets....to the marriages to farangs..to international trade......

...when will enough be enough......

...for monkeys in trees........ no laws apply.....for humans......... it should be different.......

Edited June 23, 2015 by SOTIRIOS

[manhood]

How does an airline can ignore the concern about their safety on flights and its an international concern!

So the best is to stop all these airlines of flying right away!!!!!!!!!!!

And face this government with penalty while not working on effective safty regulations and let them delay all the changes without any consequences to the country of Thailand and all the airlines and agencies involved!

So well doing costumers stop to fly with thai airlines. no booking, no money and so that's the only way to catch them on that what hurts! MONEY

[laocowboy2]

As I understand it, the problem that the ICAO has is NOT with individual Thailand-based airlines but rather with the Thai airline regulator (the DCA). As it is the latter that is responsible for ensuring pilot quality, aircraft airworthiness etc. an unfit-for-purpose regulator means that all airlines based in Thailand come under increased scrutiny.

Thai Airlines Cancel Flights, Delay Plane Purchases Due to UN's Red Flag
By Khaosod English


An aircraft operated by Thai Airasia X at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, 13 June 2014 [Prachachat]

BANGKOK — Thai airlines have canceled flights to northern Japan and indefinitely delayed plans to buy new planes after Thailand's aviation safety ranking was downgraded by a United Nations agency last week.

Nadda Buranasiri, an executive of Thai Airasia X, says the company will no longer offer flights to Sapporo, Japan, from 1 August onward. He told reporters yesterday that the cancellation was because the "aviation situation between Thailand and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has not yet returned to normal, so it affects our plan to service passengers in this route."

The ICAO marked Thailand with a "red flag" on 18 June, denoting the Thai Department of Civil Aviation’s failure to properly monitor and enforce safety protocols of airlines based in the Kingdom. The downgrade followed the ICAO's warning in March that airlines operating from Thailand were falling short of global safety standards.

Although Airasia is headquartered in Malaysia, the company has two subsidiaries - Thai AirAsia and Thai Airasia X - that are registered as Thai airlines. Nadda said the flights to Sapporo may be resumed if the ICAO and Thai authorities manage to resolve the issue.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1435037937

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-23

[barryofthailand]

I have flown almost all of the Thai airlines. Bangkok airways is the only flights that I have actually heard from the flight deck. Thai Air Asia is the worst where you never hear from the flight deck and their flight training is not good. I am a former pilot and all of their approaches by Thai pilots are bad and in one instance we landed in Cambodia just short of an accident.

Barry

[how241]

I can see the Junta forming another SUPERBOARD to investigate the problems. After much ado Prayut will announce a Roadmap to Commercial Aviation Sustainability, invoke Article 44 to demote and promote people, and put all the blame on ICAO for not "understanding."

The Junta government keeps getting bigger and more useless.

Oh so this is the fault of the Junta and nothing to do with the carriers not following proper maintenance and safety standards? This problem has existed for years, long before the Junta came into power.

+1....The carriers are responsible to maintaining their planes.

[callaway]

'Once the situation returns to normal'. Such a thai comment. It is not their fault it is others picking on them. The situation will return to normal when you lift your standards of maintenance. Peoples lives are put at risk when there is poor maintenance. Lift your standards to the norm that the rest of the world follows and stop being third world. You are a developing nation so try to act so. Beautiful country,bad attitude.

[jesimps]

I can see the Junta forming another SUPERBOARD to investigate the problems. After much ado Prayut will announce a Roadmap to Commercial Aviation Sustainability, invoke Article 44 to demote and promote people, and put all the blame on ICAO for not "understanding."

The Junta government keeps getting bigger and more useless.

Oh so this is the fault of the Junta and nothing to do with the carriers not following proper maintenance and safety standards? This problem has existed for years, long before the Junta came into power.

Are we ready? All together now. It's Thaksin's fault!!!

Blx.

[thaiowl]

The Thai DCA did not fare well in the report on the One-Two-GO crash in Phuket in 2007:

"A two-year investigation by NTSB resulted in a report mainly incorporated into the crash report published by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Transport. Both reports found that the Captain and First Officer had worked hours vastly in excess of the legal flight limits; that the first officer attempted to transfer control to the captain during the go-around; that neither pilot initiated a go-around and that the training and safety programs at the airline were deficient.

Corruption within One-Two-GO Airlines and the Thai Department of Civil Aviation was a factor for crash investigators. A television crew initially learned of fraudulent work rosters for the captain and first officer, obfuscating their illegal work schedule, had been provided to the crash investigators. The lead Thai Department of Civil Aviation investigator reported documents he had received from One-Two-GO were fiction. The National Transportation Safety Board report included the true work rosters, obtained by the family of a victim. The NTSB report documents check ride fraud among four other One-Two-GO pilots in the months following the crash. Legal filings and press articles reference an email among executives of One-Two-GO Airlines, including CEO Udom Tantiprasongchai."

The US NTSB takes an interest in commercial airline incidents involving US manufactured aircraft, and they arrived on site within days. The NTSB inspected the aircraft, the crash scene, interviewed survivors and witnesses. They took information obtained from the flight data recorder (“black box”) to the United States for analysis. The flight data recorder immediately yielded significant facts about the flight, including:

• Wind shear was not a factor in the crash
• First Officer Montri was the flying pilot
• Captain Arief’s radio communications with ATC were error prone
• Many Crew Resource Management (CRM) issues occurred within the cockpit
• There was no conversation between the pilots during the final 18 seconds of flight.
• The go-around (TO/GA) button, used to configure the aircraft for go-around, had not been pushed
• The throttle was pushed to take-off power only 2 seconds before impact.

Yet Thai investigator Director-General Vuttichai announced that NTSB had notified his department saying that it was “unable to determine the cause of the accident” and “No punishment will be imposed on any agency or personnel after completion of the investigation because the accident was beyond control”.