After a nearly-ten year gap, direct flights between U.S. cities and Thailand may resume as early as February, following an inspection of Thailand’s aviation safety systems in November by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, according to Thai officials.
Flights between the two countries were suspended in 2015 after the FAA downgraded Thailand’s air safety to Category 2 for failure to comply with some of the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Among the issues cited then was that Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority was both the operator of the country’s airports and their safety regulator, creating a possible conflict of interest. It also cited insufficient personnel inspection and leniency in issuing air transport licenses.
Once final approval and a return to Category 1 is in place, Thai Airways is expected to announce routes to several U.S. cities, and U.S. airlines are likely to plan routes to Bangkok and Phuket, popular destinations for American visitors.
