INTERVIEW 07
Raising the bar for the sustainable growth of Thai aviation industry Dr. Chula Sukmanop, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) Geography is very important for the aviation industry. Located centrally among China, India and the South-East Asia, Thailand has a geographical advantage for becoming the aviation hub of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI), the aviation industry will be one of Thailand’s next major entities as it is a value-added industry that will increase the competitiveness of the country. However, the adverse effect of the highly contagious Covid-19 outbreak, this sector has become one of the most disrupted industries together with tourism. Commercial flights are banned from entering the Kingdom of Thailand at all points in an attempt to prevent the spread of the pandemic, even though the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) lifted a ban on international flights from 1 July 2020 under certain conditions. This issue of UPDATE interviewed Dr. Chula Sukmanop, Director-General of CAAT, on the role of monitoring standard aviation practices as well as promoting and developing sustainable aviation activities in Thailand. Holding a Ph.D. in Maritime Law from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, he worked as Director-General of the
Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, the Marine Department and the Department of Airports before joining CAAT in 2016. One of CAAT’s missions is to promote and develop sustainable aviation activities. Can you explain this in more detail? CAAT has to ensure that aviation activities can take place. It begins with traffic right. Basically, for a country and their airlines to fly and provide services in other countries, they need bilateral agreement for traffic rights. For example, if we agree with the German authorities that our two countries can have 21 flights a week, CAAT will distribute these rights to Thai airlines who are willing to operate and nominate the list of the operating airlines to the German authorities. Conversely,
the German authorities will do the same and inform us of their designated airlines. Once both countries have the names of the airlines, the designated airlines will apply for the operating slots at the airports. CAAT’s next activity is about “(airpor t) slot allocation” managed together with the Airpor ts of Thailand PCL (AOT) and other airpor t operators. Slots mean time availability. If the slots are full, the airlines will have to land at another time. Thus, CAAT’s involvement in negotiating the bilateral agreements, distribution the traffic rights to operators and airport slot allocation has the direct impact on the promotion of aviation activities. Thailand aims to become the regional aviation hub for the aviation industry in South-East Asia, with an average growth of 10 per cent per year. How has CAAT been contributing to the growth of Thailand’s aviation industry and the realisation of becoming the regional aviation hub? CAAT has two main roles. One is that of Regulator. We have been exercising measures to ensure that Thai aviation industry is in line
www.thailand.ahk.de
