The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced this week that the Kingdom of Thailand does not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and has been assigned a Category 2 rating based on a reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority.

Although this will not immediately impact international air services from Thailand as Thai Airways International recently closed its flight between Bangkok and Los Angeles, it does mean that its carriers will not be allowed to establish any new service to the United States and could impact codeshare arrangements in and out of the country. It could also result in other countries introducing their own operational restrictions on the flights of Thai carriers as the FAA and ICAO ranking is seen by many as a global standard.

A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating means that the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures.

Thailand was previously assigned an initial Category 2 rating in 1996 but received a Category 1 rating the following year after a second audit. Reassessments of Thailand in 2001 and 2008 continued the Category 1 rating but an audit in July 2015 found that Thailand did not meet international standards. The FAA gave Thailand 65 days to make improvements in the areas of concern it identified but the deadline was not met.

As part of the FAA’s IASA programme, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to fly to the United States, currently conduct operations to the United States, or participate in codesharing arrangements with US partner airlines, and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations.

A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. With an IASA Category 1 rating, a country’s air carriers can establish service to the United States and carry the code of US carriers. In order to maintain a Category 1 rating, a country must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

Earlier this year China, South Korea and Japan all for some period banned new charter flights from Thai carriers due to 'significant safety concerns' with the country's aviation safety, while Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) placed higher safety restrictions on national carrier Thai Airways.

The FAA decision will damage Thailand’s reputation could potentially lead to countries like South Korea or Japan limiting flights and routes by Thai operators. Subject to the concerns of the FAA, the European Union could also impose its own restrictions, in the worst case scenario blacklisting the country’s airlines from serving the Continent, a move that would significantly impact Thai Airways. OAG schedules for this year show non-stop flights from Thailand to destinations in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and UK offering just over three million seats in each direction.