WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday it had upgraded Thailand's air safety rating to "Category 1" a decade after a downgrade, paving the way for direct U.S.-Thailand flights to resume.

Thai airlines could not launch or expand services to the United States, either directly or as a code-share partner, under the International Aviation Safety Assessment "Category 2" rating the FAA had assigned in 2015 due to a shortage of technical officers and certification problems in transporting hazardous goods. The top rating shows compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

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In 2017, Thailand resolved a significant safety concern identified through the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program in 2015, the agency said on Thursday.

Prior to late-2015, Thai Airways (THAI.BK) , opens new tab flew direct between Bangkok and New York and Los Angeles.

In 2017, Thailand said it aimed to get an air safety rating upgrade by 2018. Bangkok is a regional airline hub and Thailand had more than 35 million foreign tourists last year.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-reinstates-thailands-top-aviation-safety-rating-2025-04-23/