Use of Article 44 to bypass employment regulations will greatly benefit Thailand’s aviation sector and solve airlines’ workforce deficit, says Transport Minister Akom Termpitayapaisit.
The transport minister spoke about the NCPO’s use of Article 44 to solve the issue of vacancy in the Thai aviation industry, saying that the order was given to accelerate the progress of hiring pilots for THAI airways and Thai Smile Airways, which would solve the shortages of pilots, instructor pilots and specialists.
The order to extend the retirement age to 65 would relieve the current workforce deficit that the national aviation industry has been experiencing during the past 3 years.
Powers from Article 44 would increase the process flexibility, which would unlock the regulations set by the employment law that states a retirement age of 60.
The minister stated the government will be accelerating the production of skilled aviation personnel during the next five years, to be sufficient with market demand.
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand Director Chula Sukmanop also welcomed the use of Article 44, as it would benefit both state-owned and private airlines in Thailand by boosting competitiveness. The order would also extend the training hours in civil aviation institutes for Thai personnel as well.
