Thailand eyes FAA top safety rating after nearly 10 years

The Civil Aviation Authority is gearing up for a crucial inspection, aiming to reclaim its Category 1 rating after being downgraded in 2015

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) aims to reclaim its Category 1 (CAT1) aviation safety rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during a five-day inspection that kicks off on Monday. 

The FAA downgraded Thailand to Category 2 (CAT2) after identifying 36 problems based on the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) standards. 

Regaining the CAT1 rating would significantly boost the Thai aviation industry, allowing airlines to expand routes to the US and other countries that endorse FAA standards, such as South Korea, CAAT director Air Chief Marshall Manat Chavanaprayoon said on Friday.

He added that CAAT has been working to rectify all 36 issues, focusing on legislative changes that ensure the agency has full independence in overseeing and regulating aviation safety without political interference. 

Manat said the CAAT committee has passed a resolution reinforcing its authority which could be formalised into law in the future. Other key improvements include enhancing air safety training oversight and tightening certification processes to align with FAA regulations. 

“We have done our best to fix these issues, though the FAA may find new concerns during the audit,” Manat said. “To ensure a smooth process, we have assigned experts to respond to FAA auditors in each specific area.” 

The FAA is expected to announce the inspection results within 60 days.

(2025/03/07-00:00)