Thailand to resolve SSC issue

BANGKOK, December 3 (TNA) - Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittyapaisith says that his ministry will go ahead with efforts to remove the red-flag put on Thailand's aviation industry since June 2015 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for the "Serious Safety Concerns" (SSC) issue. Arkhom made the remarks on Wednesday, as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is scheduled to announce the result of its audit on Thailand’s aviation industry on December 10, 2015. Arkhom told journalists that he still does not know the outcome of the EASA's audit, noting, however, that investigation standards of EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are similar to those of ICAO. Arkhom stressed that Thailand has resolved several cruxes related to the SSC issue and must be well-prepared and make sure that the country’s aviation problems are completely resolved before inviting ICAO officials to re-inspect the Thai aviation industry; otherwise, the red-flagged SSC issue could be prolonged. On December 1, the US-FAA downgraded Thailand’s civil aviation rating to Category 2, from Category 1, after its officials visited Bangkok in October and gave warnings in July to rectify 35 issues in the Thai aviation industry. According to the transport minister, FAA's downgrade should not much affect Thailand’s aviation industry because no direct flights between Thailand and the United States operated by Thai airlines presently, but FAA's decision could pose negative impact on the country’s image. Meanwhile, Charumporn Jotikasathira, President of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, told reporters THAI has prepared plans in case that EASA may downgrade the country’s aviation industry, like FAA. Charumporn revealed that THAI flights currently fly to 11 European cities, earning the national airline from the routes about one-third of its total aviation revenue. (TNA)