No-frills Thai Lion Air (TLA) has passed a globally-recognised operational safety audit, which will help boost its public image feared to have been tainted by the flawed safety record of its Indonesian parent carrier.
TLA was added to the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry after the audit, which was completed in a record period of 10 months. IOSA, the first global standard for safety auditing, is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) yardsticks and industry best practices and developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Being on the IOSA registry will significantly strengthen TLA's chance of having its airline operating licence recertified by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), TLA chief executive Aswin Yangkirativorn told the Bangkok Post.
The DCA is expected to start the recertification process for Thai-registered airlines over the next several months as part of a process to win back endorsement from ICAO on government oversight in the aviation regulatory regime. It was thought TLA would have difficulties in getting its licence reissued by the DCA because of its parent firm's reputation.
Lion Air group in Indonesia has yet to be certified for IOSA, which uses over 900 internationally harmonised standards and recommended practices. TLA is the first budget airline in Thailand to get IOSA certification, joining Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways.
The process means TLA is open to ambush audits by the IOSA team over the 24-month period of registry.
"Securing IOSA will definitely boost trust and confidence among customers," he said.