IATA Urges Thailand To Address Aviation Safety, Capacity Issues

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa BANGKOK, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- The Thai government needs to urgently address safety, capacity and cost issues to keep the country's aviation sector competitive, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Its Director General and Chief Executive Officer Tony Tyler said the aviation sector is critical to Thailand's economic success as it is the backbone of its tourism industry and provides critical global business links. "We estimate that today aviation and related activities account for some two million Thai jobs and generate US$29 billion in GDP. And by 2035 we see that growing to 3.8 million jobs and US$53 billion in GDP. "If realised, that potential 83 per cent growth would have a broad and positive impact across the Thai economy. "It is in jeopardy, however, unless key issues of safety, capacity and costs are addressed urgently," he said in a statement here. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), he said, have raised safety oversight concerns which must be addressed by Thailand. The FAA ranks the country in Category Two of its International Aviation Safety Assessment programme. "Safety is aviation’s top priority. The government of Thailand must address these concerns in support of a vibrant aviation sector that is the backbone of travel and tourism,” said Tyler. IATA, he said, wants Thailand to mandate IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) as a requirement for all Thai-registered airlines as it would send a strong signal that the country is serious about its commitment to world-class safety. The international body also called on the Thai government to tackle several issues on safety at its main hub Suvarnabhumi Airport, as well the urgent need for expansion work due to the capacity crunch. The government, he said, must resolve safety concerns about "soft spots" on the tarmac, taxiways and apron area at Suvarnabhumi as aircraft frequently get "stuck" in the soft surfaces that are the result of sub-standard materials. The Suvarnabhumi airport handles over 52 million passengers yearly, exceeding the terminal's design capacity of 45 million while demand is growing by 10 per cent annually, Tyler said. Fast-tracking the Phase Two terminal expansion would provide much needed terminal capacity and the IATA has called for plans for a third runway at Suvarnabhumi to move forward, he added. The government, he said, also needs to focus on improving Thailand’s cost competitiveness in transport and tourism as it ranks 35th in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, behind its competitors including Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. -- BERNAMA