Thai authorities are on alert for whether the South Korean aviation agency will ban more Thai-registered airlines, amid watchdog concerns over Thai aviation safety.
Seoul still bans chartered Thai-registered flights and other Thai-registered airliners planning to increase their capacity, flights and new destinations in South Korea, but it is unclear whether it will relieve or toughen the measure after its recent talks with the Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).
Korean aviation officials only said they would "review the issue and the DCA's proposals", said DCA chief Somchai Phiphutthawat, who flew to South Korea last week to explain what his department is doing to improve its worsening image.
Earlier, the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) assessed the DCA's role in regulating air operations as inadequate.
Mr Somchai yesterday did not elaborate on his talk in Korea. He said Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong will unveil the details tomorrow.
Seoul has not issued formal letters regarding its decision to ban Thai-registered airlines. It only informed Bangkok that, besides the ban imposed on March 30, airlines with regular flights to Korea can go ahead with their normal schedules, he said.
The ban affects Asia Atlantic Airlines, Jet Asia Airways and Asian Air, which have tried to fix the situation by transferring their passengers to other airlines while Thai Airways International and Thai Air Asia X still fly to South Korea as usual, Mr Somchai added.
The stance of the Korean aviation agency is important because air travel operators, who are allowed to fly to Korea, can continue their flights until April 15 when their licences expire. As a next step, they will ask for the renewal of their flight operation licences, said Woradet Hanprasoet, deputy permanent secretary for transport.
The ICAO, during its latest audit of Thai aviation in January, found the DCA's procedures for granting aviation licences do not meet its standards. Concerns were raised over how it issues Air Operator Certificates and the regulations for transporting hazardous items including batteries, engines and flammable substances.
If Seoul decides to ban more Thai-registered airlines, Bangkok may consider cancelling Korea's two airlines flying to Thailand because the Korean agency has violated the Korean-Thai aviation agreement, said a source at the Transport Ministry.
The two airlines' flights to Thailand are "beyond what is stated in the agreement", the source said without giving more details.
South Korea has followed Japan in restricting certain flights from Thailand. Tokyo later decided to grant a reprieve, allowing six Thai-registered airlines to fly to Japan from Saturday until May 31 on the condition that they fly the same flights, use the same types of aircraft and fly exactly the same routes as well as subject their pilots and aircraft to more stringent inspection processes.