Authority reviews licences issued to Thai-registered airlines

BANGKOK, April 20 (TNA) - The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), under the Thai Ministry of Transport, is reviewing all licences it has issued to Thai-registered airlines to make sure that they all meet international standards required by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency, and to ensure Thailand's air transport safety. DCA Director-General Somchai Phiphutthawat told journalists of the move on Monday, acknowledging that his department will take times to review all the licenced air operators' certifications and the task may not be finished within June, 2015. Somchai said that the review is aimed to convince ICAO to lift its significant safety concerns on DCA's standards for its certifications of Thai-registered airlines. According to the DCA chief, the review covers the certifications of 28 Thai airlines which operate international flights, 16 of them run regular flights and the rest run chartered ones. The DCA chief noted that his department is also reviewing 13 other certifications for domestic flight services. Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Transport Voradej Harnprasert told reporters that the certifications for new operators have been suspended until DCA complies with the ICAO's standards. (TNA)