Crisis as Thai airlines face disruption

Thailand’s air safety regime under scrutiny by ICAO

The prime minister said the special powers would be used to address safety concerns identified by ICAO as quickly as possible.

Thailand's military government will use special powers to avert a looming crisis in the country's aviation and tourism industries.

Airlines registered in Thailand are facing bans on international flights over safety concerns. An International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit in January found significant concerns with the country’s aviation safety, according to officials.

The Bangkok Post said airlines facing flight disruption include NokScoot, Thai AirAsia X, Asia Atlantic Airline and Thai Airways. Disruptions to flights come just ahead of Songkran, a busy travel season.

The decision by Thailand's prime minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to invoke special powers follows a report that South Korea and China have joined Japan in banning new flights by Thai carriers that will affect more than 400 flights and 150,000 passengers during the high tourist season from April to May.

The prime minister said the special powers would be used to address safety concerns identified by ICAO as quickly as possible.

The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau recently announced it would not allow new chartered and scheduled flights operated by Thai-registered airlines into Japan, a move seen as a reaction to the ICAO's concerns over the Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) standards.

Gen Prayut said the ICAO had expressed concerns about the DCA for a long time. The number of flights passing through the country has doubled from 300,000 to 600,000 but the ICAO's concerns have yet to be resolved.

"What happened? There are only 12 DCA officers responsible for the flights," the prime minister said.

"This is our mistake, and we have to concede that we violated the rules and we must find ways to address the problem," Gen Prayut said.