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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded Thailand’s aviation safety rating from Category 2 to 1. This means that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is compliant with international safety standards and can once again fly to the United States and participate in codeshare agreements for the first time in a decade.
Mexico was bumped up from Category 2 to 1 in the fall of 2023. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) returned Mexico’s aviation safety rating to the highest level (Category 1) after more than two years of being downgraded for not meeting International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards. This does not mean that the airlines of a given country were not safe to fly, but that they did not meet minimum safety standards in certain areas.
The International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program is used to determine a country’s compliance with eight critical elements outlined by the ICAO. These include: primary aviation legislation, specific regulations, the civil aviation system and safety oversight functions, technical personnel qualification and training, technical guidance, tools, and the provision of safety-critical information, licensing and certification obligations, surveillance obligations, and resolution of safety concerns. At the time of its downgrade, the FAA found a reported 36 safety deficiencies.
With this rating upgrade, Thai Airways may once again fly to the United States. I can remember flying from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to/from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on the Thai carrier. It also used to offer service nonstop to/from New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The desire for a nonstop US route has been strong for many years. United recently announced service to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), but it’s connected to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and not the United States. Air Canada also offers nonstop service from Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
Anthony’s Take: I love Thailand and would gladly go back. Here’s hoping for a nonstop flight to/from the United States once again.
(Featured Image Credit: Thai Airways.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
