Thailand and France collaborate to upgrade Thai aviation industry

Thailand’s aviation industry is set to undergo a significant upgrade, in collaboration with France, as announced by Thai Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit. The partnership, conceived during a recent official visit to France, is intended to ready Thailand for future aviation demands.

The minister held discussions with Damien Caze, the head of France’s Directorate-General for Civil Aviation, in the French capital. The dialogue centred on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Technical Cooperation between the two countries which has been active for quite some time. The cooperation, according to Minister Suriya, will continue to advance various sectors of Thailand’s aviation.

The main focus of the dialogue was the improvement of Thailand’s aviation capacity. Suriya highlighted the need for the development of future-oriented aircraft models. This includes Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) drones, designed to enhance the efficiency of small-scale transport and logistics, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles, small aircraft for the transportation of people or goods in urban areas.

The delegates also touched upon the importance of augmenting cyber security in light of potential risks and challenges posed by cyberattacks on the aviation industry.

The conversation also extended to aviation ecology, specifically, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to assist in the industry’s decarbonisation.

In addition to government representatives, Suriya also engaged with personnel from private companies to encourage investment in Thailand. Among these were Satys, a company specialising in aircraft painting, sealing, and interior manufacturing for the aerospace and rail sectors, and Germany-based Volocopter, known for its eco-friendly, electric multirotor helicopters.

The minister also discussed the forthcoming 1-trillion-baht southern Land Bridge megaproject with representatives of CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest shipping company, and Artelia, an international construction consulting group. This project, set to link Ranong on the Andaman Sea coast with Chumphon in the Gulf of Thailand, will comprise deep-water ports in both provinces, a cross-land motorway, and a railway system, reported Bangkok Post.

Both CMA CGM and Artelia showed interest in the project and requested additional information for future consideration. The meeting concluded with an exchange of contact details with the Thai delegates, indicating a promising future for the collaboration.