Thailand and the United States are anticipated to resume direct flights in February next year, contingent upon the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgrading Thai aviation safety from Category 2 to Category 1, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
Mr. Suriya highlighted the significant advancements in Thailand’s aviation safety standards following an FAA inspection conducted from November 11 to 15, during which the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) received positive evaluations.
He noted that although there are still some minor issues to address, they are not expected to affect the final decision. Thailand is projected to regain its Category 1 (CAT 1) safety rating by February next year, which would signify a crucial achievement for the nation’s aviation sector.
The FAA downgraded Thailand to Category 2 (CAT 2) status in December 2015 after a reassessment identified non-compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. In 2015, the ICAO reported a conflict of interest, as the department acted both as the regulator and operator of provincial airports. The organization also pointed out inadequate personnel inspections and a lenient approach to issuing air transport licenses.
Transport Permanent Secretary Chayatan Phromsorn assured that the CAAT has worked tirelessly to address safety concerns and meet the necessary standards since the downgrade. The recent five-day FAA audit indicated that the major issues have been resolved, with only minor modifications pending.
Moving forward, the FAA will finalize its report and engage in a final discussion, with an official announcement regarding the upgrade expected in late February.
The CAT 1 designation affirms that a country’s civil aviation authority meets ICAO standards, allowing airlines to initiate or expand operations to the U.S. Thailand’s return to CAT 1 status will enable Thai airlines to operate direct flights to the U.S., benefiting the aviation industry as a whole.
Thailand initially received a Category 2 rating in 1996 and achieved a CAT 1 rating in 1997. Following reassessments in 2001 and 2008 that maintained the CAT 1 rating, a reassessment in July 2015 determined that Thailand no longer met international standards, resulting in the downgrade later that year.
