Thailand and the United States are set to resume direct flights in February of the following year as the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is anticipated to elevate Thai aviation safety from Category 2 to Category 1, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit recently disclosed the significant improvements in Thailand’s aviation safety following an FAA inspection conducted from November 11 to 15, which resulted in the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) receiving positive evaluations.
Despite some lingering minor issues, these are not expected to affect the final decision, he noted, with expectations set for Thailand to regain its Category 1 (CAT 1) safety rating by February next year—a significant milestone for the nation’s aviation sector.
The FAA downgraded Thailand to Category 2 (CAT 2) in December 2015 after finding non-compliance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In 2015, the ICAO identified a conflict of interest as the department acted as both the regulator and operator of provincial airports within Thailand.
It also highlighted insufficient personnel for inspections and a too lenient approach to issuing air transport licenses.
Transport Permanent Secretary Chayatan Phromsorn confirmed that the CAAT has been actively working to resolve safety concerns and meet required standards since the downgrade.
He noted that the recent five-day FAA audit indicated that major issues have been addressed, with only minor adjustments remaining.
The FAA is expected to finalize its report and hold a final discussion soon. An official announcement about the upgrade is anticipated by the end of February.
The CAT 1 designation verifies that a country’s civil aviation authority meets ICAO standards, allowing airlines to either initiate or expand flights to the US.
Regaining CAT 1 status will enable Thai airlines to operate direct flights to the U.S., greatly benefiting Thailand’s aviation industry.
Originally rated as Category 2 in 1996, Thailand achieved a CAT 1 rating in 1997.
Further assessments in 2001 and 2008 upheld the CAT 1 rating. However, a reassessment in July 2015 revealed that Thailand no longer met international standards, leading to a downgrade later that year.
