Japan eases ban until May

BANGKOK  Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau and Thailand’s Civil Aviation Department signed a pact Thursday that will allow charter flights from Thailand to resume until 31 May according to the Minister of Transport Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong.
National News Bureau of Thailand quoted ACM Prajin saying that under the pact JCAB will increase scrutiny of Thai airlines.
Airlines that currently operate charter flights to Japan will need to pass JCAB’s safety checks before new routes are allowed. All Thai aircraft will have to go undergo detailed safety inspections from now until 31 May.
The transport minister told NBT that the two months grace period wouldl allow Thailand to address the shortcomings in its civil aviation system cited by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
inside no 2The Department of Civil Aviation will be conducting reviews of the licenses granted to Thai Smile, Thai VietJet, and Jet Asia, said ACM Prajin.
Director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation, Somchai Piputvat, arrived in South Korea, yesterday, to explain efforts to address the shortcomings cited by ICAO. He will also visit China 8 April.
It is understood that Japan eased its bans until 31 May as a number of charter flights had been sold throughout the April a peak holiday month for Thai travel to Japan. The ban threatened to disrupt tourism flow between the two countries and inconvenience travellers.
Thailand’s DCA is under investigation following the ICAO audit. Heads are expected to roll as the report indicated a lack of efficiency and skills at DCA level to ensure compliance to international standards.
The Department of Civil Aviation confirmed that ICAO criticism was due to unqualified supervising system in the country, not the standard of operations of its privately owned airlines.
DCA director general, Somchai Piputwat, said earlier that the ICAO report prompted Japan, South Korea and China to ban charted flights from Thailand. But since then Japan modified its response allowing flights until 31 May when the peak season for travel from Thailand ends.
As long as the ICAO concerns are not resolved, Thai airlines now have to pass safety tests in countries they wish to serve.
However, privately some airline executives place the blame entirely at the door of the DCA saying the ICAO reforms were urgently needed within the department to create good governance and transparency. The agency lacks accountability and this has led to allegations of corruption, claims the DCA rejects vigorously.

sourced:ttrweekly.com