Thais eye British aviation help
Arkhom mulls hire to meet UN safety rules
The Thai aviation authority is likely to hire a British aviation consultancy to help it meet the aviation safety requirements of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says.
Mr Arkhom said the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), which has replaced the now-defunct Department of Civil Aviation, is holding talks with Civil Aviation Authority International (CAAI) to help improve aviation security system oversight.
He said foreign experts will also be hired to carry out inspections in addition to providing training for personnel responsible for procedures in granting Air Operator Certificates (AOCs).
A lack of qualified staff to issue AOCs to Thai-registered airlines is among the safety concerns raised by the ICAO which issued a “red flag” in June, six months after the country failed to fix its aviation flaws.
Mr Arkhom said the CAAT, which was set up as part of the restructuring of the Civil Aviation Authority, is now recruiting staff members. The new agency will be officially operational on Jan 1 next year.
CAAT director Chula Sukmanop said one of the agency’s urgent tasks is to expedite re-issuing AOCs to 28 airlines which operate international flights and re-issuing 2,300 pilot licences.
A total of 41 Thai-registered airlines are required to undergo inspection and certification.
According to Mr Chula, the Command Centre for Resolving Civil Aviation Issues during its meeting last Sunday assigned secretary-general ACM Preecha Pradubmook to draw up an action plan to address aviation safety in two weeks.
The plan is expected to include a list of qualified personnel to carry out inspections and re-issuance of AOCs and pilot licences and a detailed schedule of planned inspections and certifications of all 41 airlines.
So far only three airlines have submitted documents for inspections and reissuance of AOCs, he said.
He said the Flight Operation Inspector Manual and Air Operator Certificate Requirement are ready pending a review by specialists to see if they meet requirements by the ICAO. If approved, these documents will be used for training staff.
The training is expected to take three weeks before the inspection and certification of AOCs can proceed, he added.
On the structure of the CAAT, Mr Chula said the agency will employ 457 staff members who will come from three sources — transfers from the defunct DCA, hiring of highly trained technicians, and recruitment of junior staff for training and development.
Of more than 400 applicants from the DCA, about 280 have passed an exam and will undergo interviews, he said. More than 100 CAAT staff members will be experienced and highly trained air safety technicians.
Mr Chula said CAAT aspires to be an independent and transparent body with qualified personnel, which is essential to improving aviation standards.
A source close to the matter said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy Somkid Jatusripitak put heavy emphasis on the selection of staff members who will also help develop and strengthen the aviation agency.