ID :
361981
Wed, 04/01/2015 - 14:02
Auther :

Thailand, Japan to ease deadlock of flight services

BANGKOK, April 1 (TNA) - Thailand and Japan have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on initially breaking through a deadlock of flight services for two months, taking effect from April 2-May 31, 2015. Thai Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong told journalists of the update on Wednesday, saying that Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) and his ministry's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) negotiated on March 26 and JCAB sent its written agreement to DCA on March 31. Air Chief Marshal Prajin announced that both sides are satisfied with the agreement and will sign the MOU to that effect at DCA's head office in Bangkok on April 2. Under the MOU, the transport minister revealed, JCAB allows regular and chartered flights of Thai airlines to enter and exit Japan on the condition that they are conventional flights and operate on old routes and with the same planes. Besides, Thai authorities must report all flight irregularities to Japan and JCAB will check services and ground operations of Thai airlines more frequently. In addition, DCA will revise its licences for Thai Smile, Thai VietJet Air and Jet Asia Airways and send staff to work out safety solutions and air transport standards closely with JCAB. According to the transport minister, DCA will also solve safety concerns raised by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over the next three months, including certification for air operations and transport of hazardous cargoes. Meanwhile, DCA Director-General Somchai Phiphutthawat told reporters that he is scheduled to visit South Korea on April 2, China on April 8 and Australia and Germany afterwards to present solutions to ICAO concerns. (TNA)

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