ICAO finds no significant security issues on Thai aviation

BANGKOK, July 25 (TNA) - The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has found no significant security issues on Thailand's aviation services, but suggesting on further upgrades of the Kingdom's aviation standards. At a meeting held in Bangkok on July 24, Chula Sukmanop, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), briefed agencies concerned over the result from a latest ICAO inspection on the Thai aviation security under the UN agency's Universal Security Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA). Chula told Monday's meeting that an ICAO team conducted the latest inspection on Thailand's aviation security during July 11-21 and found the Thai Kingdom has passed all 463 items of its significant check. Chula said, however, that the ICAO team has suggested 49 points for Thailand to further upgrade the national aviation standards. The CAAT revealed that the 49 points suggested by ICAO mainly concern on raising the number of personnel in charge of upholding security standards, including aviation inspectors and security officers, at all Thai airports and on tailoring specific security plans for each of the 38 Thai airports. According to the CAAT chief, ICAO will send Thailand a written report on its latest inspection of the Kingdom's aviation security within 60 days and Thailand will then have about 60 days to acknowledge or defense against the ICAO report and to take action to comply with the ICAO report. (TNA)