MJets today becomes the first non-scheduled Thai airline to get its air operator certificate (AOC) reissued by Thai authorities.
The issuance is 26 days behind the Aug 31 time frame set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), costing MJets some US$600,000 (19.9 million baht) in lost business.
MJets executive chairman Jaiyavat Navaraj confirmed that CAAT last night granted the recertified AOC that lets the firm resume its international charter business and related services.
MJets is the first reinstated among the 12 remaining Thai-registered commercial airlines banned from operating international air services since Sept 1 because of the CAAT's delay in recertifying their permits.
The CAAT had set an ambitious deadline to appease the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is in the process of removing Thailand's red flag over "significant safety concerns" uncovered by the UN's aviation watchdog back in 2015.
Just before Aug 31, the CAAT had completed recertification of the AOCs of nine carriers operating scheduled flights and representing 98% of all international passengers carried by Thai-registered airlines last year.
The recertifications were meant to validate the CAAT's claim that the vast majority of Thai-registered airlines meet the strict requisites of ICAO.
"To get its AOC reissued, MJets clearly demonstrated and fulfilled all requirements in compliance with rules and regulations set by ICAO and the CAAT," Mr Jaiyavat said.
The reissued AOC for MJets comes as an ICAO team is due today to wrap up its audit of the CAAT and its cross-checking of some airlines earlier recertified by the CAAT, including low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia.
So far the CAAT has yet to give specific time frames as to when the 11 other operators will win back their AOCs and thus be allowed to fly overseas again.
Among those waiting are air cargo operator K-Mile Thailand; Asia Atlantic, a joint venture of Japanese travel agent HIS and Thai hotelier Baiyoke Group; and China-focused Orient Thai.