Japan eases restrictions on Thai airlines

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) - The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has relieved its restrictions on Thai airlines, by allowing Thai charter flights to fly to Japan from April 11 to May 31, 2015. Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong told journalists on Friday that Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with JCAB on the move on April 2. Air Chief Marshal Prajin stated that the MOU signing was not immediately announced because JCAB was reporting the agreement to the Japanese minister in charge of supervising its agency. According to the transport minister, JCAB's relieved restrictions will benefit a number of Thai tourists who prefer to visit Japan in April, which is a peak tourism season for Thais. Japan earlier barred Thai airlines from increasing flights to the country as of early April until DCA solves safety concerns raised by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over the next three months, including certification for air operations and transport of hazardous cargoes. Under the MOU, the transport minister said, safety standards on every commercial flight flying from Thailand to Japan will be inspected first and endorsed by DCA and another inspection in details will be made by JCAB after any charter flight lands in Japan. The Thai transport minister vowed to solve every problem in the long run, ranging from the Thai aviation law to the transportation of toxic materials, over the next 2-8 months. (TNA)