Flights by 12 airlines put on ice

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has imposed a special power under Section 44 to enable the temporary suspension of international flights by 12 airlines which have yet to achieve recertification.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the NCPO yesterday resolved to exercise Section 44 to authorise the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to temporarily suspend the airlines’ international flight operations during Sept 1 to Jan 31 next year.

The move is to accommodate an audit and assessment of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of Thai aviation standards during Sept 20-27, said Lt Gen Sansern.

The ICAO wants to see Thai authorities take measures to improve safety standards in the aviation system, he said.

After the ICAO’s inspection, the CAAT will speed up the process of granting the Recertification of Air Operator Certificates (Re-AOC) required by the ICAO for the airlines by Jan 31 next year.

There are 12 locally-registered airlines, most of them charter flights, which have yet to achieve the Re-AOC as the process could not be undertaken in time.

According to the Transport Ministry, the 12 airlines are Mjets, Orient Thai, Thai Vietjet, K-Mile, Jet Asia Airways, AC Aviation, Siam Land Flying, Asia Atlantic, VIP Jets, HS Aviation, Advance Aviation and Skyview Airways.