Aviation officials still not happy with airline
AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
The Civil Aviation Department has refused to lift its suspension of the budget airline One-Two-Go saying it is still unhappy with the carrier's quality control.
The suspension has been extended three times since July 22 as the department said it has not received evidence of sufficient improvement in the airline's flight practices and management.
Department deputy director-general Wuthichai Singhamanee said yesterday there were still defects in the airline's flight manual and managerial structure. The suspension was further extended until Monday.
Mr Wuthichai said the department wants Thai executives to take over the management of One-Two-Go.
He argued foreign managers who were running the airline were so obsessed with making profits that they arranged schedules which prevented pilots taking refresher training or resting sufficiently between flights.
This attitude was definitely a threat to the safety of pasengers.
Foreign executives were only interested in making maximum profit without being concerned with the improvement of pilot efficiency, he said.
He expected Thai managers would emphasise quality standards, understand Thai corporate culture and promote Thai-style services.
The department wants all One-Two-Go pilots to undergo strict regular flight tests.
It also demanded Thais make up at least 40% of the airlines' pilots.
Mr Wuthichai expects One-Two-Go to respond positively.
He said it had laid off many old pilots.
If One-Two-Go passes its re-evaluation on Monday, the public can be confident of the safety of its services, he said, adding the department applied strict controls on all airlines operating in Thailand.
One-Two-Go has already submitted its revised flight operation manual and managerial structure and the department would announce its decision on the suspension on Oct 20, Mr Wuthichai said.
One-Two-Go's parent company, Orient Thai Airlines, resumed services on Sept 20, when the department restored the operating licence of the airline that uses MD80 aircraft.
On Sept 16, 2007, One-Two-Go flight OG629 from Bangkok, an MD82 jetliner, crashed in strong winds and heavy rain while attempting to land at Phuket international airport.
The crash killed 89 people and injured 41 others.
The department attributed the tragedy to a problem in cooperation between foreign and Thai pilots.
Pilot error was the main reason for the Civil Aviation Department grounding One-Two-Go and Orient Thai airlines in July.
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