Thailand’s aviation authority has received top marks in safety from United States officials, clearing the way for the nation’s airlines to start operating nonstop routes to America.
On April 25 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded the overall safety rating for Thailand’s civil aviation authority to Category 1, its highest possible ranking.
The top-tier rating means Thai carriers are now allowed to launch new U.S.-bound routes. In fact, plans for new flights between the U.S. and Thailand might already be underway, as the FAA only evaluates countries with airlines who are seeking to operate within the U.S. in some capacity, including to participate in codeshare agreements with U.S. airlines.
Thai airlines haven’t been able to operate direct routes to America for about a decade. Back in 2015, Thailand’s aviation authority was downgraded to a Category 2 score by the FAA, due to “a shortage of technical officers and certification problems in transporting hazardous goods,” according to Reuters. Previously, Thai Airways had operated direct routes to the U.S., including flights from Los Angeles and New York to Bangkok.
Under its International Aviation Safety Assessment program, FAA officials evaluate aviation oversight and safety practices in countries around the world. In the assessments, the FAA examines how closely each country’s aviation authorities follow safety standards from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an industry body run by the U.N. Those countries deemed the safest and most compliant by the FAA are awarded the Category 1 rating.
Thailand’s new safety clearance comes as American tourists’ interest in traveling to the Southeast Asian nation is on the upswing: the third season of HBO’s hit drama show “The White Lotus” was set on the Thai island of Koh Samui. The show is known for creating a travel boom to its filming locations. In the two week’s following season three’s premiere on February 16, searches in the U.S. for trips to Koh Samui jumped by 95 percent on Expedia, CNBC reports. Hotels and tour companies are also unveiling "White Lotus"–themed activities throughout Thailand. The first two seasons of the show, set in Hawaii and Sicily, drove a 300 percent increase in travel to those destinations, according to Expedia’s data.
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