High hopes on Thailand receiving approval by EASA

BANGKOK, Dec 6 (TNA) -- Thailand’s aviation operators have a high confidence that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) would issue positive results of its audit on the kingdom’s aviation industry later this week, a senior officer said. Air Chief Marshal Preecha Pradupmuk, Secretary of Command Centre for Resolving Civil Aviation Issues, said after his meeting with senior executives of 41 commercial airlines on Friday that the meeting focused on ways to tackle the announcement of EASA due to be issued on December 10. ACM Preecha said if Thai commercial airlines are not allowed by EASA to fly to Europe, they could appeal to the European Commission Air Safety Committee within 18 months. EASA is scheduled to announce the results of its audit of Thailand’s aviation industry this Thursday after its authorities had conducted an audit of Thailand’s Airport Department and the Office of Civil Aviation (OCA) and expressed concerns on training programmes for new pilots and reviewing air operator certificates. If the results were not favourable to Thailand, the national carrier Thai Airways International and a charter airline MJets could still operate to 28 European countries. However, they cannot increase flights, change the type of aircraft and change final destinations. Simultaneously, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon said that the Friday’s meeting also discussed on recruitment of experienced of aviation inspectors before the end of this month so that they could inspect the issuance of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and qualifications of pilot to meet standards required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Currently, the country has only 49 aviation inspectors while there are more than 2,100 pilots. The ICAO red-flagged the kingdom’s aviation industry in June this year. (TNA)