Aviation anxieties as EASA verdict due

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EASA
Aviation anxieties as verdict due
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION



Prayut bares his concerns but senior airline executives believe Thailand will pass safety inspection

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has expressed concern over the possible outcome of the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) evaluation of Thai-registered airlines, which is due to be announced today, even though senior airline executives are confident of passing the latest safety inspection.

"I'm worried. It's not up to us. It's up to the evaluators," he said, adding that there were many problems affecting the country's aviation-safety system, which largely resulted from the fast-growing number of airlines registered in Thailand following the tourism boom of recent years.

Hiring of foreigners

Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan said the government would speed up the hiring of foreign aviation-safety experts to help overhaul the overall safety system, which had to meet the standards set by international agencies such as EASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US.

Senior executives of national-flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) and privately owned chartered airline MJets have expressed confidence that they will be given the green light to continue operating into Europe when EASA announces its evaluation results today.

In fact, THAI passed an EASA safety check in June this year and recently invited the agency to inspect the airline's safety system again, so executives of the national flag carrier, who asked not to be named, are positive it will not be banned from European airspace.

At present, tourist destinations in Thailand are popular among European holidaymakers, accounting for 25 per cent of the 25 million visitors to Thailand last year.

Besides its findings on Thai-registered airlines, EASA is also expected to announce the results of its latest review of aviation safety concerning other Southeast Asia-registered carriers.

EASA conducts aviation-safety investigations twice a year, in June and December.

A senior THAI executive said the airline had nothing to worry about because it had been maintaining high safety standards to comply with Europe's requirements.

The source said that if EASA gave the green light today, THAI should continue operating into 11 destinations in the region.

On the other hand, the airline has also prepared contingency measures to cope with a negative evaluation result, he added.

'THAI unlikely to be banned'

Another executive at the airline said it was unlikely THAI would |be banned by EASA, as many passengers from Europe planned to travel to Thailand during the current high season, which lasts until February.

"THAI is confident of being cleared by EASA to operate into the region [Europe] as a third-country operator," the source said.

At MJets, an executive who asked not to be named said the airline had also asked EASA to audit its safety standards, so it was also confident of getting a pass.

Chula Sukmanop, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, said that even if EASA's announcement were to be negative in respect of one or both of the Thai airlines, it could differ in nature from that issued by the US FAA, which downgraded Thailand's aviation standard from category 1 to category 2, meaning Thai airlines cannot add new destinations or change aircraft when flying to the US.

So far, the FAA announcement has not affected any of the Kingdom's carriers, as none currently operate to the US.

The Thai national carrier ceased its operations to North America on October 25.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Aviation-anxieties-as-verdict-due-30274635.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-10

[MaiChai]

Customers are already voting with their wallets: Thai Airways is too expensive!

[shirtless]

No amount of lip service or face saving promises will solve this , You need to fix the problems

[BuckBee]

Really 'tourist boom' caused this !

Tourist decline is truth of it, I been through swampy a few times this year inc this week & it dead .

more like sitting on your arse looking at pretty giggle girls on facebook & employing bloodline idiots & milking expenditure has led to current mess .

[ezzra]

better you worried and do something about before your planes will fall off the sky and than the EASA

will say to you ; I told you so....

[yellowboat]

Customers are already voting with their wallets: Thai Airways is too expensive!

Yes, too expensive and poorly run.

[bongoz]

Thainess...

"THAI passed an EASA safety check in June this year and recently invited the agency to inspect the airline's safety system again"

"EASA conducts aviation-safety investigations twice a year, in June and December."

So Thai airlines were due for an inspection

[jippytum]

The report will have serious consequences for Thailand carriers and rightly so . A quote from Thai when the US banned flights said ''it does not affect us as we have already stopped flying to America ''Incompetent companies do not deserve to have the safety of thousands of people in their care.

[sabai-dee-man]

All I can say is it's about time. I stopped flying THAI years ago. Personally, I'm amazed the FAA never downgraded them sooner. My brief 15 years in Thailand has allowed me enough experience to give cause for concern regarding native education, technical capabilities, and denial that anything other than the Thai way is the correct way.

Thailand needs more "shocks to the system" such as this, to wake them up out of their delusions of self importance and unaccountability.

They must be feeling the strain now, as THAI consistently come up cheapest on searches for LHR to BKK... not just cheapest non-stop, but cheapest full-stop! Som num nah!

Sabai Dee Man.

[jackh]

"Another executive at the airline said it was unlikely THAI would |be banned by EASA, as many passengers from Europe planned to travel to Thailand during the current high season, which lasts until February."

YES! Thai logic at work again! It's all about consumer demmand and nothing to do with actually being concerned for passenger's safety. It should make no difference how many people are coming to LOS.

The ONLY concern should be to maintain airplanes and safety for the sake of people's welfare, NOT the impact on Thai tourism dollars.

[klauskunkel]

"I'm worried. It's not up to us. It's up to the evaluators,"

That shows deep insight and contemplation of the problem, good job.

Of course, if it was up to you, all airlines would pass.

But don't worry, you can always ride a bike.

[X pat]

It is a shame what has happened to Thai Airline,I remember when I use to fly with them 30 years ago and they were one of the line carriers in the world.

[MobileContent]

THAI will not be banned from European Airspace but they might not add more flights.

[Doc46]

Why would they have to be worried? If they done their maintenance according to International Safety Standards they are ok,,,But like must safety & first class maintenance in Thailand It Doesn't exist!

[SiSePuede419]

"the government would speed up the hiring of foreign aviation-safety experts to help overhaul the overall safety system"

Why, I'd bet there's probably a few ex Pan Am safety experts already in Thailand.

But hurry, they're probably dying off left and right.

555

[SiSePuede419]

Why would they have to be worried? If they done their maintenance according to International Safety Standards they are ok,,,But like must safety & first class maintenance in Thailand It Doesn't exist!

Could be worse. Southwest sends their planes down to El Salvador for maintenance...

[SiSePuede419]

Why would they have to be worried? If they done their maintenance according to International Safety Standards they are ok,,,But like must safety & first class maintenance in Thailand It Doesn't exist!

Could be worse. Southwest sends their planes down to El Salvador for maintenance. I've been there. Thailand is a dream, by comparison...

http://skift.com/2014/07/28/faa-proposes-12-million-fine-to-southwest-for-poor-maintenance/

[gandalf12]

"Another executive at the airline said it was unlikely THAI would |be banned by EASA, as many passengers from Europe planned to travel to Thailand during the current high season, which lasts until February."

YES! Thai logic at work again! It's all about consumer demmand and nothing to do with actually being concerned for passenger's safety. It should make no difference how many people are coming to LOS.

The ONLY concern should be to maintain airplanes and safety for the sake of people's welfare, NOT the impact on Thai tourism dollars.

There are more airlines then Thai flying from Europe to Thailand. If Thai Airways is seen as unsafe ten people will fly another airline. BA, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar etc are a few that can be taken to Thailand. This attitude that people need Thai airlines is blinkered vision, they dont

[bangon04]

Why would they have to be worried? If they done their maintenance according to International Safety Standards they are ok,,,But like must safety & first class maintenance in Thailand It Doesn't exist!

When will the pesky foreigners stop complaining? We have formed many committees to mull the problems, and we have promised to fix all the problems sometime soon.

We have consulted several well-respected fortune tellers. We have shuffled the senior THAI staff so that the ACMs get a chance to give their opinion.

We have issued extra large Amulets to all pilots. The monks have put sticky powder all over the roof of the cabin inside.

We are already mulling the reduction of flights to Rome etc.

What more do they want?

[Sydebolle]

The country's COO is wrong if he refers to quote "I'm worried. It's not up to us. It's up to the evaluators," he said, adding that there were many problems affecting the country's aviation-safety system, which largely resulted from the fast-growing number of airlines registered in Thailand following the tourism boom of recent years. unquote

​It is upto the:
a) individual airline to keep their fleet and operation safe
the country of aircraft registration to ensure a)
c) the international governing body (in this case FAA; IATA and/or ICAO) to ensure and a) are being complied with

In Thailand's case the bell rang on c) only which has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with c).

Dont blame the evaluators but thank them for blowing the whistle before another plane comes down which would have a much more (alas most likely deadly) impact which in turn does not promote tourism.

If you can fly domestically for less than a bus fare then something is very, very wrong. Get your act together and, in site of AEC2015, note that Thailand - against popular will - is still not the centre of the universe and can blame any Tom, Dick and Harry except themselves for the greedy selfish attitude towards customers and the international community - me says!

[Jiggo]

The outcome of this inspection will not affect us.....as we will cancel all flights to Europe the day before....may I be the first o this lol.

[sawadee1947]

Prayut bares his concerns but senior airline executives believe Thailand will pass safety inspection

Here we go....BELIEVERS and NON-BELIEVERS

[newnative]

"I'm worried. It's not up to us, it's up to the evaluators." And, thank goodness for that!

[SOTIRIOS]

........'up to the evaluators'......

...reminds me of students who handed in BLANK exam papers......and still passed.....

[bheard]

Hiring foreigners to come into Thailand to fix things??

Surely not. We don't need foreign ideas, that's not the Thai way.

It's a token gesture, and those foreigners employed will find themselves ignored and treated like doggie-doo by the incompetent incumbents.

[Mirkwood]

Actually both Thai Airways and MJETS will easily pass safety tests.

Move on. Nothing to see here.

[torpedo1970]

Thainess...

"THAI passed an EASA safety check in June this year and recently invited the agency to inspect the airline's safety system again"

"EASA conducts aviation-safety investigations twice a year, in June and December."

So Thai airlines were due for an inspection

All about that face

And they did invite them.... even if it was due.... they did get a invite

did i mention that they did invite them....

https://youtu.be/KHfrRnWcDGM

[kjhbigv]

Customers are already voting with their wallets: Thai Airways is too expensive!

I often hear this comment and it simply not true, at least LHR-BKK-LHR, they are the cheapest and use a newish Airbus A330 and a newish Airbus A380 daily!

My friend booked a flight for Songkran next year, paid GBP490 return inc all taxes to Chiang Mai from London....cheapest by a country mile!

Just did a random flight in Feb 2016.....cheapest....Thai!

[torpedo1970]

Customers are already voting with their wallets: Thai Airways is too expensive!

I often hear this comment and it simply not true, at least LHR-BKK-LHR, they are the cheapest and use a newish Airbus A330 and a newish Airbus A380 daily!

My friend booked a flight for Songkran next year, paid GBP490 return inc all taxes to Chiang Mai from London....cheapest by a country mile!

Just did a random flight in Feb 2016.....cheapest....Thai!

yes, true....

But very sad news for all the Thai bashers out here

[Ulic]

It is not our fault if there are any short comings, don't blame us.