The International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”) has conducted an audit
of the Thai Department of Civil Aviation (“DCA”) as part of its Universal Safety
Oversight Audit Programme (“USOAP”). This Programme is intended to ensure
a consistent global standard for aviation safety and the civil aviation
authorities of ICAO member states are subject to regular audits under the
USOAP by ICAO.
The audit covers a broad range of areas relevant to aviation safety and airline
operations but is intended to assess the performance and expertise of the civil
aviation authority and not of individual airlines. Some of the key areas considered
are personnel licensing and training, airworthiness assessment and certification,
accident investigation and airline operations oversight and licensing.
There are concerns that ICAO will downgrade Thailand from Category 1 to
Category 2 as a result of the audit. Much speculation revolves around the
shortage of inspectors and the procedures for granting Air Operator Licences and
Certificates (AOL/AOC) and airworthiness and the conflict in allowing the DCA to
license airlines and operate airports. It is premature to comment on these issues. It
is important to bear in mind that the purpose of the audit is to identify areas
where the civil aviation authority of an ICAO member state does not meet
international standards. This is particularly important and increasingly critical