Airlines may be required to pay up to 0.3% of their gross revenue to a proposed civil-aviation agency for the hiring of professionals to oversee the industry’s safety standards.
The revenue-sharing proposal is part of the planned restructuring of the Department of Civil Aviation needed to comply with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The proposed Office of Civil Aviation of Thailand will be an independent agency established by a special law to support act as regulator to supervise aviation standards and licensing, according to Transport Minister Prajin Juntong.
He said a new regulation would be issued in 2016 to allow the new office to be funded by as much as 0.3% of contributions from air carriers, starting from 2017, to spend on the hiring of qualified professionals to train Thai personnel to perform their duties at international levels.
Currently, ACM Prajin said, airline safety accreditors earned income from the issuance of air-operator certificates and collect contribution of 0.01-0.3% of carrier gross revenue.
Prior to receiving funds from airline contributions, the new office will be funded by government budget allocations estimated at 220 million baht.
Under the proposed restructuring, the Department of Airports will be established to replace the DCA and responsibilities would be scaled back to only operation of 28 airports in Thailand.