Thai government urged to solve airline problems

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) - The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has urged the government to urgently solve airline problems which have affected outbound trips, especially those set during the upcoming Songkran or Traditional Thai New Year Festival. TCT claimed on Tuesday that it has received complaints from outbound tour companies and people who bought tour packages set for extended holidays during the upcoming Songkran Festival. TCT pointed out that Japan's prohibition of Thai-registered airlines from increasing their flights to its sky would cause tourists who planned to visit the country on extra flights, including chartered ones, might not be able to travel during the upcoming Songkran Festival. TCT said although some Thai airlines have tried to solve the issue by using aircraft registered in other countries to serve their extra flights, such a solution is temporary and insufficient, while tourists have increasingly sought refunds and delay payment, as they doubt whether they can travel with the tour packages they have bought. Stressing that tourism growth needs confidence, TCT urged the Thai government, through the Ministry of Transport, to, thus, order the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to urgently solve significant safety concerns on its airline certification and to restructure DCA to restore the confidence of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). TCT also asked the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to help Thai tourists and business operators affected by the flight service restriction. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered the Ministry of Transport to form a special committee to fix flaws at DCA to meet CAO standards. According to the prime minister, problems have existed because DCA has only 13 officials for airline certification, while air traffic in Thailand has risen from 300,000 to 600,000 flights annually. The prime minister noted that the special committee, chaired by the transport minister, will also hire foreign experts to help DCA handle airline certification tasks up to ICAO standards. (TNA)