Airline Safety Records

8th Dec 2010

OK, we all have complaints in Phuket about airlines, airports and things aviation from time to time, usually based on our own experiences, such as a bad meal, running out of booze on the flight, having to climb over someone to go to the toilet or rude and indifferent staff.

But stop complaining. Imagine if you were on an aircraft in any of the following countries: North Korea, Sudan, Afghanistan, Cambodia and Rawanda. All of these countries are fully banned from flying into the European Union because of doubts about their safety.

Then throw in carriers from Angloa, Benin, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgz Republic (a land locked county in Central Asia) Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe (a Portuguese speaking two island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off Africa's west coast, for those who were wondering) Swaziland and Zambia, representing a total of 228 companies, which are also banned and it makes for a pretty sorry picture - and Thailand doesn't look so bad.

Of course virtually all of these countries are in Africa and none, apart from Siem Reap Airways International from Cambodia, which is banned from Europe, fly into Thailand. Siem Reap flies to Bangkok only, and not Phuket. Also, of course, the European Union ban is a bit meaningless for most of the airlines affected as many of them would not have routes to Europe anyway.

What the European Union ban does underscore, however, the importance of safety in the airline industry. This year three new countries were added to the updated list of airlines banned from European airspace. The banned nations are the African countries of Djibouti, the Republic of Congo and Sao Tome and Principe.

Thailand is not entirely free of such bans either. At one stage a couple of Thai airlines were banned because of safety concerns. However, Asia, with the exception of Cambodia and some airlines in Indonesia, has been improving its record compared to Africa, the former Soviet states and some Middle Eastern countries.

At least the countries mentioned here have airports. Imagine living in a country where there are no airports!! Well there are five of them. Leading the way is the Vatican City, which is plum in the centre of Rome, Then there is Monaco but does have a heliport for all those billionaires to fly in and out from their super yachts. Liechtenstein also only has a heliport. It nearest airport is Zurich, in Switzerland. Andorra near Spain is the largest country not to have an airport. Its nearest airports are Girona in Barcelona and Toulouse in France. Finally there is tiny San Marino in Italy, which has a heliport.

So it just goes to show that you can run a country successfully without an airport. Of course Phuket would be absolutely ruined without our airport, which shows signs of improving customer service and facilities virtually every month. We are also getting a VIP air terminal, have a single engine airstrip and, yes, you guessed it, we have a helipad (not a heliport) about 3-4 km south of the airport. Of course Phuket also has its own mobile helipads'those on some of the super yachts that moor off places like the Amanpouri Resort in Siran during the high season.

Finally, Phuket Airport is looking to welcome its sixth millionth visitor. It just missed out last year because of the airport closure and other political nonsense in Thailand.

However, Phuket Airport has a long way to go before it matches the busiest airport in Asia, Beijing Capital International Airport which put through almost 37 million people from January to July this year.

Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok was the first busiest airport in Asia with 22 million, a drop of 9.4% of that same period, the biggest drop in Asia.

This has significance for Phuket, as the vast majority of tourists to the island still pass through Bangkok en route to here. Still, Suvarnabhumi has had a lot to contend with. Here's hoping there are no more airport occupations.

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