We mismanaged pilots
CEO Patee admits shortage of key flight staff; govt warns it could revoke licence.
MISMANAGEMENT of pilots and other internal problems have rocked budget carrier Nok Air resulting in last Sunday’s chaos at Don Mueang airport, the airline’s CEO Patee Sarasin has admitted.
The government, meanwhile, issued a warning to Nok Air and threatened to suspend and revoke its operating licence if such an incident – in which more than 1,400 passengers were left stranded due to the abrupt cancellation of nine flights – happened again.
Patee, who met Transport Minister Akom Termpitayapaisit yesterday, said the airline is undergoing a restructuring of its flight operations in compliance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s operational safety audit.
The restructuring will separate the roles of pilots and management, negatively affecting pilots, who currently hold dual positions, he said, adding that the airline is also facing a critical shortage of pilots and co-pilots for its average 1,600 flights per month.
He said the restructuring is understood to be a major reason for some pilots to go on strike, resulting in the abrupt cancellation of flights on February 14.
“We need to upgrade our safety standards in line with IATA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
“We have an independent partner to help audit our flight operation since we don’t want pilots to do the crucial task themselves.
“Previously, we found some pilots exceeded the legal limit on working hours,” he said.
The CEO said the airline, which has a load factor of 93 per cent, has reduced the number of flights by 10-15 per cent and transferred some passengers to chartered flights operated by other airlines.
This year, Nok Air, which has a fleet of 28 aircraft, will recruit another 116 pilots in addition to the current workforce of 83 pilots and 113 co-pilots, with the first batch of 20-30 new recruits expected over the next two months.
Meanwhile, Sanit Kongpetch, a pilot and former manager of the airline’s flight standard department, said after being fired without compensation that the February 14 incident was not a “strike”, but a shortage of pilots.
There were about 30-40 pilots quitting, but the airline management failed to recruit enough replacements.
“All this is about how to cope with the pilots’ shortage,” Sanit said.
He said top executives must take responsibility and talk to workers at the operational level.
According to the Transport Ministry, Nok Air’s licence will be suspended if this happens once more, and will be revoked if such incidents are repeated.
Government Spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the issue was taken up by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who ordered the Transport Ministry to help find solutions to the airline’s internal management problems to avoid any further impacts to passengers.
Patee was told he should have taken action earlier, right after the problem occurred.
The CEO reportedly relied on lower-level staff to tackle the crisis at first.
Somkid said all airlines should have contingency and risk-management plans, as well as consumer-protection measures ready, and that they were now required to submit such plans to the Transport Ministry within a month.
