Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) decided Friday not to renew an international safety certificate for Bangkok's new airport in the latest setback for Thailand's brand new airport.

The certificate has no legal binding and is not required by law for the airport to operate, meaning it can stay open and provide service at least for the moment.

The DCA had been scheduled Friday either to issue a permanent Aerodrome Certificate for Suvarnabhumi Airport, or renew an interim document awarded on July 25.

Instead it opted to postpone the decision. The DCA certificate assures that the airport meets the standards of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

DCA director general Chaisak Angkasuwan said they would wait until Thailand passed a law due within months requiring all airports to meet ICAO standards, and then reassess the situation at Suvarnabhumi Airpot.

"Getting the certificate is not legally binding so Suvarnabhumi can operate without such a certificate," Chaisak told The Nation.

However, he conceded the move would shake confidence in Suvarnabhumi.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) has set up an independent panel to investigate that problem, and it has two weeks to report its recommendations.

Some parts of the runways and taxiways have been closed recently as many cracks were found there. The closure for repair works delayed many incoming flights to the airport that was open four months ago.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont warned travellers of inconveniences because of the investigation into the cracks. "The flights can still land, but passengers will have to experience discomfort," he told reporters.

The Nation

SUVARNABHUMI

Airport denied seal of approval

Will continue to operate despite many 'structural, management' faults

Confidence over the safety of Suvarna-bhumi Airport has suffered another major blow, with aviation authorities yesterday refusing to extend its interim Aerodrome Certificate. The certificate, which shows an airport meets international safety requirements, expired on Thursday.

Civil Aviation Department officials said they had received phone calls from international pilots expressing concern after learning about the department's decision to leave Suvarnabhumi in a certification "no man's land".

Department director-general Chaisak Angsuwan said the decision stemmed from multiple structural and management problems at the airport.

Pavement cracks on runways, taxiways and tarmacs are scattered over about 100,000 square metres of the airfield, forcing partial closure for repair work over the past few weeks. The next closure for repair of the eastern runway was planned for four hours early today.

"We also found management problems," Chaisak said. "For example, the aerodrome operation manual that provides instruction for airport maintenance and accidents still contains incorrect information, which could cause confusion for operators, especially in case of emergencies."

However, Chaisak said the lack of an Aerodrome Certificate would not lead to the airport's closure because Suvarnabhumi is operated under a local licence, just like Don Muang and other airports in Thailand.

The Aerodrome Certificate is a recent attempt by the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation to standardise airport operations around the world, but Thailand has not yet issued a law to respond to this new requirement.

While no airport in Thailand has been certified, eight airports in Malaysia have obtained the certificates, as well as two in Singapore, two in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. Eight in South Korea, one in North Korea and 93 in Japan have also been certified.

Chaisak said the interim certificate issued by his agency to Suvarnabhumi six months ago in response to the rush to open the airport for domestic flights in July, and the official opening in September, had no legal foundation.

"We are updating our legal system for aviation, hopefully this year," he said. "Until then, Airports of Thailand [operator of Suvarnabhumi] has time to improve the airport and we can start the certification process anew."

However, Suvarnabhumi being left in a state of certification "no man's land" has concerned some pilots. A professional Thai pilot told The Nation the lack of certification would affect confidence in the international pilot community about the safety of Thailand's brand-new airport.

"If I were a foreign pilot, how could I trust that I would be given the right instruction when I had to fly in and out of an airport without international recognition?" he said. "And I would be particularly concerned if I had to deal with disruptive weather or other emergencies. I don't know who has to bear responsibility in the event a wrong decision is made."

Nantiya Tangwisutijit

The Nation