Japanese aviation authorities have extended the period of an indefinite reprieve for six Thai-registered airlines to operate flights to Japan.
Under the reprieve, the airlines must have already operated flights to Japan, Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said.
The six airlines are Thai Airways International (THAI), Jet Asia and Thai Air AsiaX, which operate scheduled flights to Japan, and NokScoot, Asian Air and Asia Atlantic Airlines, which handle chartered flights to Japan.
Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) signed an agreement in April to allow six Thai-registered airlines to operate charter flights to Japan and the agreement will expire on Sunday.
The agreement comes after a temporary ban was imposed on Thai airlines over aviation safety concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Moreover, speaking after returning from Japan on Friday, ACM Prajin also said he and Akihiro Ota, the Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, signed the memorandum of cooperation (MoC) to develop two rail routes.
They cover a 670-km rail route for high-speed trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and a 574km double-track rail route, which consists of a Kanchanburi-Bangkok-Chachoengsao-Laem Chabang section and a Bangkok-Chachoengsao-Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district section.
Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has offered to extend a loan for the construction of two motorways, according to Mr Arkhom.
The proposal was made when Mr Arkhom held talks with ADB principal transport specialist Yasushi Tanaka and regional cooperation specialist in the Southeast Asia Department, Kaoru Kasahara, yesterday.
The two motorways cover the 196-km route connecting Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in district, Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima, and the 96-km route from Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district to Ratchaburi's Ban Pong district and Kanchanaburi.
The projects cost 84.6 billion and 55.6 billion baht respectively.