CAAT is reviewing air operator certificates for 12 airlines

BANGKOK, Sept 15 (TNA) -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is confident that its air safety measures will convince the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to lift a red flag on Thai aviation and it is likely to reissue air operator certificates (AOCs) to 12 airlines within January next year. CAAT Director General Chula Sukmanop said the National Council for Peace and Order authorised the CAAT to suspend international services of the airlines that had not passed safety checks and obtained new AOCs that the ICAO required. Their international services could resume after they passed the checks and received AOCs. Out of 21 locally registered airlines, nine already received newly issued AOCs and the 12 other airlines have yet to pass the process. Mr Chula expected that MJets would receive its AOC within September; K-Mile Air, Orient Thai Airlines, Thai Vietjet Air and Siam Land Flying would do so in October; and Asia Aviation would obtain its AOC in November. All the rest airlines should receive their AOCs within Jan 31, 2018, Mr Chula said. He was confident that the ICAO would finally lift its red flag on Thai aviation because the CAAT was seriously solving 33 points of the ICAO’s air safety concerns, reviewing AOCs for airlines and amending laws and regulations. He expected the ICAO’s informal decision on the red flag within Sept 27. (TNA)