The title of this one says it all. For the first time in ten years, airlines can operate direct flights between Thailand and the United States. This update comes after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded the country’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating to Category 1.
In announcing the rating upgrade, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, told the Bangkok Post that the country’s aviation safety rating change is “good news for the aviation industry of Thailand”.
Category 2 Rating Prevented Direct Flights Between Thailand and the United States
A Category 2 IASA rating indicates that the FAA has assessed the country’s civil aviation authority and determined that it does not provide adequate safety oversight of its air carrier operators in accordance with the minimum safety oversight standards that have been established by ICAO.
Thailand was given a Category 2 ranking back in 2015, at which point airlines were no longer allowed to add flights between the country and the United States. Thai Airways, the flag carrier of Thailand, operated direct flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK) but it cancelled these in 2015, prior to the downgrade.
It’s worth noting that Thai Airways cancelled both routes as it couldn’t make the economics of the service work. The airline was operating extremely inefficient Airbus A340-500 aircraft on the route as these were the only planes in the fleet able to handle the routes.
In the years since, the carrier has added newer, more fuel efficient aircraft to its fleet, which would have made the economics on these routes much more appealing if it had been allowed to restart them.
With Thailand’s Category 1 Rating Restored, Will We See New Flights Soon?
Thai Airways is a member of Star Alliance along with United and Canadian flag carrier Air Canada. Currently, Air Canada operates seasonal service between Vancouver (YVR) and Bangkok while United just added a fifth-freedom route between Hong Kong (HKG) and Bangkok.
The Los Angeles area has the largest Thai population outside of Thailand and that would likely be a very appealing route for Thai Airways. United has a small hub but operates its primary transpacific gateway just up the road in San Francisco.
Given the demand for tourism to Thailand currently, I could see either of these routes getting added, or reinstated in the case of LAX. United has been the boldest of the U.S. carriers with trying new routes recently and, with plenty of aircraft on order, I could see it trying the route on its own metal.
Thai Airways has not made an announcement regarding the rating upgrade but I’m sure it is working with its Star Alliance partners to determine the best way to resume flights given the current conditions.
Summary
Direct flights can resume between the United States and Thailand after the FAA upgraded the country’s IASA rating to Category 1. This is a major victory for Thai aviation and represents years of work to meet the necessary standards. Thailand was dropped to Category 2 in 2015 which prevented airlines from adding any new routes between the country and the United States.
It will be interesting to see if any airlines announce new routes as a result of the changes. United is the most likely carrier as it has shown it’s willingness to try different routes, especially in Asia. The Chicago based carrier already serves Bangkok via Hong Kong.