Phuket Airlines ‘will be off blacklist soon’

[aussie dollar]

Phuket Airlines ‘will be off blacklist soon’


BANGKOK: Phuket Airlines, recently blacklisted by the European Commission (EC) as one of 93 airlines barred from flying to the European Union (EU) and Switzerland, is confident that it will be reinstated soon, a senior official of the airline said today.

As if to reinforce that confidence, the Gazette has learned that Phuket Airlines has applied to launch another airline, to be called Holiday Airlines. The application is currently being considered by the Thai Aviation Department (TAD).

Phuket Airlines was included in the EU ban list on safety grounds. It is one of only two airlines in East Asia banned, the other being North Korea’s Air Koryo.

The European Commission (EC) has also advised passengers to avoid flying with the 93 airlines anywhere else in the world.

Grp Capt Pattana Tareekes, Phuket Air’s Vice-President, Administration, told the Gazette in an exclusive interview today, “We realize that safety is the most important part of being in the aviation business and we try to improve constantly.

“We are ready to let [EC inspectors] audit our aircraft and we have already let the Aviation Department invite the EC to conduct a safety audit.

“The EC list is to be revised every three months and we want to get off it as fast as possible; it would be good if they could remove us earlier than that,” Capt Pattana said.

“It makes us very sad that this has happened,” he added, “because it has given us a negative image worldwide, and that has seriously affected our business.”

However, the airline’s management is not about to give up, he said. “We will prove that we are an international-standard airline and, when the EU team comes here, I believe we will pass their audit.”

The TAD supports Phuket Airlines’s contention that it should be removed from the blacklist. Kanika Khemmawuthanond, the TAD’s Deputy Director-General, told the Gazette yesterday that, after the airline was barred from the UK and the Netherlands, her department had ordered it to improve its safety, and had kept a close eye on it.

“Phuket Airlines has employed Air France to revamp all systems, especially those relating to safety, to bring them up to international standards. We have checked on progress and believe that the airline is now up to standard, and we have invited the EC to send inspectors to check.

“Unfortunately, at the time when the papers were on their way to Europe, at the beginning of March, the 25 member-countries of EU were meeting [to decide which airlines should be included in the blacklist].”

She noted that Phuket Airlines’ entry in the blacklist was marked by an asterisk, indicating that it would be audited soon to see whether it should be removed from the list.

“The EC knew that we were working to fix Phuket Airlines’ safety systems – that is why they marked the entry with an asterisk.

“I cannot say for sure that the airline will pass the next audit, but the airline is ready for it and I believe we have done the best that we could – it should pass,” K. Kanika added.

Referring to Phuket Airlines’ application to register Holiday Airlines, she said, “The TAD committee is checking the documents now to decide whether to allow it or not. In fact, we are examining seven or eight such applications.”

Capt Pattana declined to make any comment on the application.

The full EC blacklist can be seen here.

[Hansel]

I guess in their dreams only; typical situation where Thai management thinks that a lot of talk actually will make an impression somewhere elese in the world...

[webner]

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

Phuket Airlines ‘will be off blacklist soon’


BANGKOK: Phuket Airlines, recently blacklisted by the European Commission (EC) as one of 93 airlines barred from flying to the European Union (EU) and Switzerland, is confident that it will be reinstated soon, a senior official of the airline said today.

As if to reinforce that confidence, the Gazette has learned that Phuket Airlines has applied to launch another airline, to be called Holiday Airlines. The application is currently being considered by the Thai Aviation Department (TAD).

Phuket Airlines was included in the EU ban list on safety grounds. It is one of only two airlines in East Asia banned, the other being North Korea’s Air Koryo.

The European Commission (EC) has also advised passengers to avoid flying with the 93 airlines anywhere else in the world.

Grp Capt Pattana Tareekes, Phuket Air’s Vice-President, Administration, told the Gazette in an exclusive interview today, “We realize that safety is the most important part of being in the aviation business and we try to improve constantly.

“We are ready to let [EC inspectors] audit our aircraft and we have already let the Aviation Department invite the EC to conduct a safety audit.

“The EC list is to be revised every three months and we want to get off it as fast as possible; it would be good if they could remove us earlier than that,” Capt Pattana said.

“It makes us very sad that this has happened,” he added, “because it has given us a negative image worldwide, and that has seriously affected our business.”

However, the airline’s management is not about to give up, he said. “We will prove that we are an international-standard airline and, when the EU team comes here, I believe we will pass their audit.”

The TAD supports Phuket Airlines’s contention that it should be removed from the blacklist. Kanika Khemmawuthanond, the TAD’s Deputy Director-General, told the Gazette yesterday that, after the airline was barred from the UK and the Netherlands, her department had ordered it to improve its safety, and had kept a close eye on it.

“Phuket Airlines has employed Air France to revamp all systems, especially those relating to safety, to bring them up to international standards. We have checked on progress and believe that the airline is now up to standard, and we have invited the EC to send inspectors to check.

“Unfortunately, at the time when the papers were on their way to Europe, at the beginning of March, the 25 member-countries of EU were meeting [to decide which airlines should be included in the blacklist].”

She noted that Phuket Airlines’ entry in the blacklist was marked by an asterisk, indicating that it would be audited soon to see whether it should be removed from the list.

“The EC knew that we were working to fix Phuket Airlines’ safety systems – that is why they marked the entry with an asterisk.

“I cannot say for sure that the airline will pass the next audit, but the airline is ready for it and I believe we have done the best that we could – it should pass,” K. Kanika added.

Referring to Phuket Airlines’ application to register Holiday Airlines, she said, “The TAD committee is checking the documents now to decide whether to allow it or not. In fact, we are examining seven or eight such applications.”

Capt Pattana declined to make any comment on the application.

The full EC blacklist can be seen here.

I think they will stay on the black list in Europe for shure much longer.

[aussie dollar]

dont think I will get one of there flights !!!!1

[stevem]

They dont have aircraft or crews, but they have been reportedly trying to register a new name.

[cybernator_uk]

It would be good for Phuket.... If managed properly that would be a good money spinner... If Phuket could launch an airline Phuket to other parts of Thailand and Asian countrys, not just Cambodia and Loas etc but throw in Singapore, Vietnam and then look towards Hong Kong you could entice the travler down to Phuket and it would be more convienent than having to go via Bangkok for a lot of flights.... would deffinatly boost tourism... But then what do i know about buisness

[Mat H]

Just get on Bkk Airways. Problem solved!!.

[cybernator_uk]

Originally Posted by Mat H

Just get on Bkk Airways. Problem solved!!.

Depends on

1. Where you are being cominf from
2. do you fancy always having to go via Bangkok from say Chiang Mai..

For Phuket it would be a good thing.....

[LivinLOS]

Get bent spammer