The passenger services of 28 Thai-registered international airlines will for a time be at the mercy of the countries they fly to because verification of their air operator certificates cannot be completed within the deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The ICAO's deadline for the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to improve its air transport certification standard falls on June 2, Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said on Monday.
However, DCA personnel had yet to be trained up to the ICAO's standards and so would have to redo the air operator certification for Thai airlines after the deadline.
The minister expected compliant certification of the 28 Thai-registered airilnes operating international flights and 13 others operating domestic services could be completed in June.
Experts from Singapore would be hired to give the required training to DCA staff, he said.
ACM Prajin said he hoped Thai authorities' efforts would convince Asian and European countries to allow flights by Thai airlines pending certification by the DCA.
Voradej Harnprasert, deputy permanent secretary for transport, said ICAO safety concerns on hazardous cargo carried by Thai airlines might be the first to be lifted.
In February the DCA suspended the licences to carry hazardous goods of seven airlines which did not meet the ICAO's standards.
They are Thai Smile Airways, Thai VietJet Air, Jet Asia Airways, Orient Thai Airlines, HS Aviation, Thai Aviation Services and Thai Express Air.
Mr Voradej expected the DCA's new regulations on the transport of hazardous cargoes would be in force in May.
The standard re-examination of the seven airlines should start on May 29, he said.
