Thai government quickly addresses ICAO concerns

BANGKOK, April 7 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Transport, is quickly finding solutions to concerns over Thai airlines raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In response to South Korea's recent decision on banning chartered flights of Thai-registered airlines as of April 16, affecting Jet Asia Airways, Asia Atlantic Airlines and Asian Air which had sold tickets to 22,119 passengers, Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong told journalists that South Korea informed Thai authorities on Tuesday that it allows Jet Asia Airways to operate chartered flights from April 7-15, which provides South Korean travellers with flights to visit Thailand during the period. The transport minister revealed that officials of Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) will discuss the air transport issue with Chinese authorities on April 8-9, and later with the ICAO chair in Canada, as well as other relevant authorities in other countries before the upcoming Songkran or Traditional Thai New Year Festival, set from April 11-19, 2015. Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Transport Voradet Harnprasert stated that a plan to comprehensively improve the work of DCA will be formulated and quickly presented to ICAO. According to the senior official, Section 44 of the Provisional Constitution will be exercised to speed up the DCA improvement, including law amendments and workforce expansion. ICAO recently raised its concerns over DCA's certification of Thai-registered airlines and control of hazardous cargoes. (TNA)