BANGKOK, 18 May 2015 – Minister of Transport ACM Prajin Juntong has revealed that his ministry has submitted to the Prime Minister a progress report on its work related to the improvement of aviation safety in Thailand.
Following the expression of concerns by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over Thailand’s aviation safety standards, ACM Prajin affirmed that the restructuring of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is underway and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has already been informed of related developments.
The Transport Minister added that the premier has been requested to consider using Section 44 of the interim constitution to adjust the roles of the DCA and increase the number of personnel within the agency. If approved, all details pertaining to the DCA’s new structure could be publicized within this month.
As for the safety evaluation of Thai airlines, ACM Prajin disclosed that the manual used as reference in the process has been updated in accordance with ICAO’s guideline and it will be put to use on June 1.
Four Thai carriers, namely Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia and Nok Scoot, will begin to be evaluated on June 20 for approximately 20 days. The security checks on all other airlines will soon follow and are expected to be completed within early August.
