Bangkok Airways gets first re-issued aviation certificate

Bangkok Airways is the first Thai airline to be re-issued with an AOC by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT), with Thai AirAsia and THAI to follow. CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop said the licensing process, in compliance with the standards of the ICAO, started Sept 12, 2016. A re-issued AOC would be valid for 5 years. CAAT would continually monitor the standards of licensees, he said. Thai AirAsia and THAI should receive their AOCs within the next month, Chula said. Six other airlines - Nok Air, Orient Thai Airlines, K-Mile Air, NokScoot, AirAsia X and Thai Smile - should get theirs by June this year. The govt is reissuing AOCs for the 9 main airlines to convince the ICAO to lift its "red flag" safety warning hanging over Thai airlines. The 9 airlines operate 70% of international flights from Thailand. <br/>