Over the last couple of months we’ve had an eye on Thailand’s efforts to regain the FAA Category 1 safety rating which the countries aviation sector has lost for a couple of years, and now it has finally happened.
After a series of audits and inspections, the process has reached its final chapter with the issuance of the new Category 1 Safety Certificate by the FAA/ICAO.
These ratings are important for multiple reasons, mostly commercial ones as a Category 1 classification allows for U.S. carriers to fly to these certified countries and for other airlines to apply for new, direct routes to the U.S..
According to The Nation, the good news came yesterday after a series of meetings between officials in recent months, during which all requirements were finalized to reach a final conclusion.
FAA announces upgrade of Thailand’s aviation rating to Category 1, recognising its compliance with international civil aviation safety standards, paving the way for Thai airlines to resume flights to the United States.
The Ministry of Transport announced today (April 22) a significant development for Thailand’s aviation industry, as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially upgraded Thailand’s aviation safety rating to Category 1.
This classification recognises that Thailand now meets the international standards for civil aviation safety oversight, following years of regulatory improvements.
Thailand had previously been downgraded to Category 2 in 2015 after the FAA identified 36 safety oversight deficiencies. The downgrade was in line with findings from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which raised concerns regarding gaps in Thai aviation laws, particularly the authority of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) in enforcing technical and safety regulations.
Key issues at the time included an insufficient number of qualified flight inspectors, especially those certified for the specific aircraft types operated by Thai carriers. However, after extensive efforts to address these shortcomings, Thailand has now passed ICAO’s rigorous standards, which are aligned with FAA criteria.
With this upgrade, Thai airlines are once again eligible to operate flights to the United States and may also increase services to other countries that reference FAA safety ratings, such as South Korea.
The reinstatement of Category 1 status is expected to enhance confidence in Thailand’s aviation industry and support sustained growth in the country’s air transport sector on the global stage.
Many years ago, there were direct flights between Bangkok and Los Angeles as well as JFK before that, on THAI, but these flights were discontinued as TG dropped the route for profitability reasons.
Since then, the Thai aviation sector had a rough patch with many reports of safety issues and several scandals regarding insufficient security screenings. They have since worked feverishly to improve these conditions.
While I don’t see Thai Airways returning its U.S. flights anytime soon, it was already confirmed that United Airlines is planning a nonstop flight to Bangkok, although from Hong Kong as a fifth freedom flight and not the U.S. mainland.
Flights haven’t been loaded, yes, but I hope they get to it soon. I’d like to try this service at least once and burn my United Travel Bank cash that I have piled up over the years with my Amex credits.
Thailand has made significant improvements in airports, immigration controls, and aviation regulation by the CAAT. Screening has also gone up, and there are (apparently) no longer bypass doors.
Is Thailand’s airport significantly more unsafe than other countries’ airports from which flights depart to the U.S. on a daily basis? I’d say no, but the FAA disagreed over the last ten years.
Still, since then, a decade has passed, and if this rating upgrade kicks in, we’re finally back to square one so that U.S. airlines can fly back into Thailand and put codeshares on Thai Airways flights.
Conclusion
In mid-March, Thailand reportedly underwent a final inspection and debriefing with FAA regulators, which ranks countries worldwide in terms of aviation safety, and these ratings decide if flights/routes can be established between the two countries and which airlines are allowed to file for new routes. A final decision has now been made, and Thailand has officially regained the Cat 1 status.
Thailand previously lost its IASA Cat 1 rating almost a decade ago. Since then, there have been no direct flights between Thailand and the U.S. Thai Airways used to operate Airbus A340-500 on routes to LAX/JFK but eventually stopped these flights and mothballed the planes, citing their unprofitability.
Let’s see if United follows through and opens a nonstop route from San Francisco or (more likely) Los Angeles, as some rumors swirled around in early October. Until then, the United flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok will probably remain the only one for the time being unless other carriers want to jump on the bandwagon.
