Thailand Says Counter Ban On South Korea Not an Option

8th Apr 2015

Thailand's aviation chief Somchai Phiphutthawat believes a counter ban on South Korea's flights to Thailand will only sever existing ties between the two countries thus it won't be an option he says.

South Korea recently joined other Asian countries which barred Thai flights following issues on the country's aviation safety standards.

Presently, two of Korea's airlines have existing flight routes to Thailand and both are allowed to take extra flights during peak seasons.

He believes a counter ban is not an option and prefers to take remedial action on the safety issues brought up by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Improving on passenger safety standards is one of the more prime concerns.

South Korea's official flag carrier maintains various flight routes to Thailand. The same is true of Asian Airlines which have regular flight routes to Thailand's airports in Incheon and Suvarnabhum.

According to Mr. Somchai, South Korea also experienced similar aviation safety issues in the past. The US Federal Aviation Administration at one time had relegated the country's air safety standard to a lower Category 2 but in a few months, the country recovered and maintained its Category 1 status after successfully addressing the issues.

Mr. Somchai was in South Korea a week ago to give an update on the latest actions taken by DCA to improve air safety standards. He said negotiations are in progress but there is no confirmation yet if South Korea will allow Thailand's carriers to run flights to the country amid the fast approaching Songkran Festival in Thailand.

On a more positive note, South Korea expressed willingness to help resolve the safety issues challenging the DCA at the moment.

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