ICAO praises Thailand’s role in aviation and tourism recovery

In the field of aviation, Thailand is soaring ever higher. The Kingdom is playing an important role in advancing a sustainable recovery in the aviation and tourism industries while also contributing to safety and security, Head of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said last week.

ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said that he “appreciated Thailand’s significant contributions towards all of ICAO’s safety, security, and sustainability objectives for global aviation,” according to a statement from the organization.

He made the comments during a bilateral meeting in Bangkok with Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob, and Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) Suttipong Kongpool.

Bangkok hosted the Asia-Pacific regional headquarters of the ICAO, along with most United Nations agencies under the umbrella of UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Their choice to place their regional headquarters in Bangkok underscores the Thai capital’s importance as a major metropolis and regional center with strategic significance.

Salazar said that the ICAO is commited to supporting Thailand in its endeavours for the recovery of the aviation industry in the country and the region.

“Thailand’s implementation of the recommendations of the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force were seen as particularly important to its current successes, especially given the high importance of international and domestic air tourism to its overall economic prosperity,” the ICAO said.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok is the third-busiest airport in Southeast Asia after those in Indonesia and Singapore. Thailand plans to double its capacity over the next several years, which should push it up the scale.

Salazar highlighted Thailand’s excellent aviation infrastructure, especially in the area of Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM), by adding that Thailand is a key contributor to the work of the ICAO’s Asia-Pacific ATFM Steering Group .

Photo courtesy of https://apstraining.com/thailand-aps-seminar-asia-pacific-aviation-safety-team/