Phuket Air quietly barred from UK (Follow up, dangerous airline)

Phuket Gazette ^ | 5-7-05 | N/A

[Central Scrutiniser]

Phuket Air quietly barred from UK

LONDON: Just days before being banned from flying to the Netherlands, Phuket Air was also quietly barred from flying to the UK, it has emerged. One of its aircraft has also been seized for non-payment of landing fees at London’s Gatwick Airport.

The website of the UK Department for Transport (DFT) says that “the Secretary of State has suspended the permit of Phuket Airlines (Thailand) because of operational safety concerns.” The statement was last modified on April 28.

The airline joins others on the UK blacklist, including airlines from Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Tajikistan, Sierra Leone, Congo, Mauritania and Swaziland.

The Guardian News Service quoted the DFT as saying the sanction, which is unusual for a mainstream carrier, was a result of “the number and severity of safety breaches revealed in Civil Aviation Authority inspections”.

One of the airline’s aging Boeing 747 jets is still at Gatwick Airport, impounded by the airport’s operator, BAA, for non-payment of landing fees.

The Guardian News Service said that BAA confirmed it was refusing to allow a Phuket Air plane to leave Gatwick until the carrier had paid its bills, although it declined to say how much money was at issue. The news service, however, quoted “industry sources” as saying the amount owed was more than £100,000 (7 million baht).

The airline’s website makes no mention of either ban, and both London and Amsterdam are still listed on its international flight schedule.

Sribenja Semmeesook, Communication Consultant of Aziam Burson-Marsteller, the public relations agency for Phuket Air, told the Gazette today, “In fact, since the tsunami there have been fewer people traveling from the UK to Phuket, so Phuket Air suspended flights to and from Gatwick in the middle of April.

“As for the Amsterdam route, Phuket Air staff are now talking with the Netherlands authorities, and we expect a positive result soon.”

Asked about the seizure of the 747 at Gatwick, she said, “[Landing fees are] a financial matter so I am unable to comment on that. However, I do know that the jumbo jet was parked at Gatwick at the end of April because of mechanical problems. As soon as all the repairs have been done the plane will be brought back to Thailand.”

[hattend]

Wasn't Phukett pretty much wiped out by the tsunami?

[Central Scrutiniser]

No, its in great shape, a handfull of hotels not operating, and what was destroyed in the tourist areas is mostly rebuilt. It wasn't a situation like Aceh, in Phuket the water didn't sweep the island, only a few hundred yards. North of Phuket, off the island got hit real bad, that is where most of the deaths occurred.

I drove to nearly every beach on the island and all around, its in great shape, the water and beaches are better than they were before. Phi Phi island is in bad shape, but there are hotels up and running there as well.

[Old Professer]

Is there any way to turn off the "phonetic mirror?"

[gwmoore]

GE, Aeronaut,

Very intriguing, Phuket Air can keep that cruddy 747 flying, and the rest of their run-down fleet, and seem to be able to obtain parts, but < rant mode=on> A long time ago, Thailand made an excellent rifle, in a caliber known as 8x52R Siamese. These had been rechambered from an even earlier rifle in 8x50R Siamese. Now, I happen to own one of these fine rifles, and I can't find ammunition to save my butt. I wound up having to order dies and hand form it from other brass.

Since I lost my FAA medical due to a closed head injury, and can no longer fly,( since '98) I have to resort to other forms of interest (Only 2 years left till I would have faced the dreaded mandatory retirement anyway)....but since the Thais seem to be able to conjure parts out of thin air, one would think they could conjure up some ammunition for a rifle they built {big grin]....... ok < rant mode =off>.

Anyhow, Thailand is a great place, a beautiful country, but that is one crummy looking aircraft, it is a tribute to the engineers at Boeing that the thing still manages to stay in one piece (how many cycles do you think are on that airframe, anyhow?)....but if they can't afford landing fees, and proper maintenance, they probably can't afford to manufacture ammunition for export.... sorry for being off topic, I simply couldn't resist it...

A disgruntled, lost medical,

Greg