Thai Lion Air gets IOSA approval

Thailand’s low-cost carrier (LCC) Thai Lion Air has achieved IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification following an assessment of its operational management and control systems.

Thai Lion Air is the only Thai LCC to be granted IOSA registry status.Bangkok Airways and flag carrier Thai Airways International are the only full-service carriers to hold that level of certification in Thailand.

Thai Lion Air said it had applied for more than 900 standards audits across eight disciplines, including aviation legislation, operations oversight, safety, qualification and training, and staff and procedures certification.

The new certification—which means Thai Lion Air could eliminate audit redundancy, reduce costs and scheduled audit resource requirements—helps to raise the overall level of compliance across the Thai aviation industry. It also allows IOSA inspectors to undertake regular unspecified random audits over the next two years to ensure continuing compliance.

In June 2015, ICAO revised Thailand’s overall national rating downward to “red flag” status, citing “significant safety concerns” across both airline and infrastructure sectors nationwide. As a result, several LCC and charter operators’ flight schedules were frozen, or the airlines themselves canceled planned launches of new routes.

Thai Lion Air CEO Aswin Yangkirativorn said securing IOSA certification “will definitely boost trust and confidence among customers. Currently, Thai Lion’s parent Lion Air carrier, based in Indonesia, does not have IOSA certification.

Thai Lion Air has a 17-strong Boeing fleet, with 13 737-900 ERs and four 737-800s operating to nine domestic destinations plus a recently launched flight to Singapore. Following the IOSA rating, the carrier plans to add more domestic and international destinations.