The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) aims to tackle warnings about the country's aviation safety raised by the UN and United States aviation regulators within the next year to help national carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) resume flights to the US.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the UN's aviation agency, issued a red-flag warning indicating significant safety concerns in June last year following Thailand's failure to meet standards in regulating aviation businesses and granting air operator certificates.
This was followed by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s decision in December last year to downgrade Thailand to Category II, meaning Thai-registered airlines were not allowed to open new routes, increase the frequency of flights to the US, or change aircraft types deployed on current services.
The FAA's move came after THAI suspended flights from Bangkok to Los Angeles, the only US city to which the carrier flew, in October last year in line with its rehabilitation plan following years of losses.
According to Mr Chula, the goal was to see THAI able to resume flights to the US in the winter schedule towards the end of next year. The airline is expected to operate flights to either Seattle or San Francisco.
CAAT director Chula Sukmanop called on the agency to adjust its work target and achievement indicators at Tuesday's meeting of a panel supervising CAAT, chaired by transport permanent secretary Chartchai Tipsunave.
A short-term goal is to have ICAO's red flag removed and return Thai aviation to the FAA's Category I by next year, he said.
CAAT plans to audit the three airlines -- THAI, Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia -- to reissue Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) to them by March next year, said Mr Chula.
ICAO and the FAA will then be invited to carry out the examination between May and June, with results ready within three months, he said. He said the FAA expressed satisfaction over CAAT's efforts to tackle the issue of safety standards when representatives from Thai aviation regulators visited the agency in the US last month.
Before ICAO proceeds with the audit, CAA International, a globally recognised aviation consultancy and subsidiary of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, will be hired to examine Thai aviation, he said.