After being downgraded to a ‘Category 2’ country by the FAA, the Thai Transport Ministry has announced its plans to introduce new legislation to enforce higher safety standards within the Thai aviation industry. The Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have signed a joint agreement, which will see EASA assist the DCA in adhering to international aviation safety standards set by EASA. Additionally, a number of internal alterations will be made within the DCA, including administrative and human resource changes.

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has raised its concerns over the amount of “stick and rudder” hours commercial pilots have accrued in their flying training. An investigation carried out by the DOT suggests that a number of recent incidents could be attributed to insufficient hours of manual flight training. They also added that advances in cockpit automation may lead to pilots relying too heavily on computer assistance in flight, which may affect their ability to control the aircraft during unexpected events, such as turbulence or engine failure.

TransAsia Airways, Taiwan's first private airline company, was founded in 1951. On July 23rd 2014, the airline suffered a fatal accident when an ATR 72-500 impacted the ground approximately 1000m short of the runway at Magong Airport, killing 48 of the 58 occupants. The airline then experienced a second fatal accident on the 4th of February 2015 when an ATR 72-500 crashed into the Keelung River after suffering an engine failure, killing 44 of the 58 occupants. Preliminary reports suggest that the crash on the 4th of February was the result of pilot error, as the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) indicated that the incorrect engine was shut down shortly after take-off. The exact cause of the accident is still being investigated.

Given that pilot error was identified as a primary contributory factor leading to the accident, the airline’s ATR flight crew were subjected to extensive re-training. During this program, it was found that out of the 49 pilots examined, ten required additional training after failing to adequately carry out emergency procedures during an engine failure event. Pilot communication and cross checking procedures were also criticised by Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA), as data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) indicated that miscommunication of crucial instructions between the crew had occurred.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had stated it would continue to monitor the airline’s operations until the final accident report is released. It will then undertake an investigation to determine if any further potential deficiencies within the airline can be identified. The CAA will also be exposed to an EASA examination to ensure that the level of oversight provided by the regulator is in line with international standards