Aerothai inks deal with China

PHUKET: Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai), the regulatory body for the air traffic industry in Thailand, has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to boost Thailand’s chance of becoming regional air transport hub. The deal was signed at Aerothai’s office at Phuket International Airport, in recognition of Phuket’s importance to tourism in Thailand. Aerothai President Capt Padet Limpisavasti announced the MoC signing after meeting on Saturday with Liu Wenqi, General Director of the Air Traffic Management Bureau of the Southwest Administration of Civil Aviation Administration of China (Southwest ATMB). Capt Padet explained that the MoC aimed to further develop both agencies’ air traffic services through a staff, information and experience exchange program. He added that China had coordinated with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create polar routes directly connecting North America with Asia. “These polar routes will yield significant benefits to Thailand’s air transport industry as they will significantly shorten flight times between North America and Asia, thus saving airlines enormous costs. “When Thailand connects its air routes with those of China, Aerothai will become a major air traffic management center in Asia. “This will boost Thailand’s chance of becoming an air transport hub for Southeast Asia,” he said.