16 Thai airlines 'suspend' operations

[reader]

Inexplicably, the following article neglects to identify the 16 airlines "suspending" operations.  Since TIT, I would not automatically assume that they've actually ceased flying passengers simply because they are "required" to.

 

From The Nation

 

16 Thai airlines suspend their operations after failing safety assessments

 

SIXTEEN airlines registered in Thailand have failed safety and related regulatory assessments conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), requiring them to suspend operations until they get new Air Operator’s Certificates (AOCs), as authorities enforce stricter rules in accordance with requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

 

The ICAO is due to send delegates to inspect Thailand’s new aviation safety regulatory system later this month or in early October, after which the agency is expected to consider lifting its “red flag”, which was imposed in 2015 due to safety concerns.

 

According to a government committee chaired by Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan, Thai authorities had already issued AOCs to nine airlines under the new regulatory system, while another 11 airlines were in the process of applying for AOCs.

 

New challenges

 

Due to the Thai aviation sector’s rapid growth rate over the past decades, there have been concerns about safety and other issues facing a large number of airlines registered in Thailand.

 

In addition, the regulatory system needs to be overhauled to cope with new challenges resulting in the restructuring of multiple agencies, including the CAAT.

 

As a result of failing to pass the CAAT’s assessments, all 16 airlines were ordered to suspend their service as of last Friday, in line with the ICAO’s regulations.

 

According to Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong, a spokesperson for Prawit, the ICAO had already inspected the safety and other related aspects at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang international airports as well as those of the CAAT in July. The results are understood to be satisfactory with no significant safety or related concerns.

 

After ICAO delegates review the country’s overall aviation safety and regulatory system, the agency is expected to report its assessment within the next 60 days, especially regarding the status of the red flag affecting Thailand.

 

Thailand has faced a shortage of qualified personnel and training officials regarding aviation and safety issues following years of a boom in the aviation and tourism sectors.

 

The number of foreign tourists has increased rapidly over past decades to about 30 million this year.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30325783

[reader]

Clarification from Khaosod English

 

13 Airlines Blocked From Flying Abroad Await Judgment

 

September 5, 2017 6:36 pm

 

BANGKOK — Thirteen Thai airlines ordered to halt international flights for failing to meet international regulations will be reevaluated at the end of the month, the interim cabinet announced Tuesday.

 

Four days after the carriers had to suspend international flights for being out of compliance with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization’s requirements for safety and other standards, the cabinet said.

 

Nine major Thai airlines passed review by the UN body and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, but 13 did not. Domestic flights were unaffected.

 

The airlines that failed to pass international safety standards include low-cost domestic carriers such as Orient Thai Airlines, Thai VietJet Air and Siam Air Transport. The rest – mostly private charter jet and cargo carriers – are Mjets, K-Mile Air, Jet Asia Airways, AC Aviation, Siam Land Flying, Asia Atlantic Airlines, VIP Jets, H.S. Aviation, Advance Aviation and Skyview Airways.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2017/09/05/13-airlines-blocked-flying-abroad-await-judgment/

[ChristianPFC]

I didn't know there are that many airlines in Thailand.

 

Do all of these really offer international passenger flights? They never came up when I searched for flights in and around Thailand.

[pong]

Guten abend-nacht fuer dich, von hier.

NO, of course not-the 2nd list are ''private hire''-mostly small/tiny plans,. only ThOrient and that ThaiVietJet (which surprses me a  bit) offer the usual AirAsia-style cheap budget flights, either just domestic or also INTernational. ThOrient also does/did a lot of charters to mainland China. SiamAirtrsp only does that. They mstly have quite old 2nd/3d hand planes, older types.

Thai airlines that offer regular scheduled passenger service:

Thai Air, Thai Smile, NOK, Thai Air Asia, ThaiLIonair, ThaiVietjet, Thaiorient, BKK-air, and the curently not flying but holding licence: KANair, Happyair, combo Tiger(SIN)/scoot is partly Thai.

Thai Air (the main and best known INT carrier) (part)owns NOK and ThaiSmile.

As their name suggest the Thai--Viet/Lion are local ''daughters'' of other ASEAN budget airlines (LION in INdon.-which country always gets very, very bad rankings in these safety inspections).

[PeterRS]

(LION in INdon.-which country always gets very, very bad rankings in these safety inspections).

That used to be true but major improvements have been made. In the latest Skytrax poll Garuda ranked 10th Best in the World. Some years ago it was banned form flying to both Europe and the USA. Incidentally it also came top of all airlines in the Best Cabin Staff category and 4th in the Best Economy Class. No rankings I can see for maintenance and safety but they seem a lot better now.

[spoon]

Garuda is in no way low cost airlines. The problem with many low cost airlines is they had to find all the possible way to make things cheaper, and sadly, that comes to the safety issues as well. Garuda is probably the only indonesian airline ill fly with, with air asia indonesia (mainly because all airasia branch adhere to similar safety standards). Sometimes the issues isnt the aging plane itself, but the staff thst has been overworked.

[a447a]

(mainly because all airasia branch adhere to similar safety standards).

Unfortunately, those standards are not very high.

[PeterRS]

Garuda is probably the only indonesian airline ill fly with

Thai Lion has a good reputation. Skytrax gives it a better overall score than several legacy carriers including British Airways.

[reader]

Excerpts from Reuters article

 

BANGKOK, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Thailand’s military government has suspended international flights by Thai airlines that have not received new operator certificates from the country’s aviation body, a spokesman said.

 

The measure will affect 12 airlines which together have a market share of only 2 percent and so will have little impact on the country’s tourism-dependent economy, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said on Tuesday.

 

Thailand’s aviation industry has been under scrutiny after the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)downgraded the country in June 2015, giving it a red flag for missing a deadline to resolve significant safety concerns.

 

Chula Sukmanop, director general of CAAT, told Reuters the suspension will affect 12 airlines, including Orient Thai Airlines and Thai Vietjet Air.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/myanmar-faces-mounting-pressure-over-rohingya-refugee-exodus-idUSKCN1BN0AQ