BANGKOK, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) told the media on Wednesday that it is closely watching over the airline industry, especially in the safety aspect, as the airline industry is reportedly facing serious financial problems since the beginning of 2019.
Starting from next year, the CAAT will be imposing stringent checks on safety standards of airlines as many are facing serious financial problems and fierce competition, said Chula Sukmanop, director-general of CAAT.
"Prices of air tickets are very competitive and revenue earned is very low," said Chula, "However airlines must not compromise their maintenance and safety standards to cut costs."
Chula said he had already conducted initial studies on the operating performances of Thai-registered airlines and he was not satisfied with the airlines' operating performances.
"I have already instructed all Thai-registered airlines to review their financial plans before the CAAT conducts another round of thorough examinations into their operating system," said Chula, "if our findings are unsatisfactory, CAAT will order them to reduce routes and flight frequencies to protect passengers."
