Special Flight Permit
In cases where an aircraft is prohibited from flying under Section 41/89 of the Air Navigation Act B.E. 2497, no person shall operate the aircraft under the following circumstances:
- There is no Certificate of Airworthiness under Section 41/61.
- The Certificate of Airworthiness has become invalid under Section 41/70.
- The Certificate of Airworthiness has become temporarily ineffective under Section 41/85.
- The aircraft has not been inspected according to the requirements upon the expiration of the period specified by the Competent Official or the Director General under Section 41/81 or Section 41/82.
- The aircraft is subject to a prohibition order under Section 41/83.
- The Certificate of Airworthiness is suspended under Section 41/86.
- The Certificate of Airworthiness is revoked under Section 41/87.
If it is necessary for such an aircraft to fly back to the base of the registrant or air operator, to a repair station, to avoid impending danger, or to operate outside the limitations specified in the aircraft manual, the Director General may grant written permission. If the Director General finds the aircraft is capable of safe flight for that purpose, permission may be granted under the conditions specified by the Director General, in accordance with Section 41/90 of the Air Navigation Act B.E. 2497.
Furthermore, for aircraft requiring flight testing under Section 16, Paragraph 2 (1) of the Air Navigation Act B.E. 2497, permissions may be granted for the following purposes:
- Flight testing for the consideration of issuing a Certificate of Airworthiness.
- Flight testing after aircraft maintenance in cases where the aircraft does not possess an Airworthiness Certificate.
- Flight testing for other purposes, such as demonstrating performance, delivering an aircraft from a seller to a buyer, research and development, or certifying significant aircraft modifications.
Any aircraft registrant wishing to request permission for a flight test must submit an application to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), along with supporting documents and evidence. This must be done in accordance with the Announcement of the Department of Air Transport regarding Requirements for Flight-Testing B.E. 2551 and the CAAT Announcement regarding Criteria for Permitting Prohibited Aircraft to Fly in Necessary Cases (Special Flight Permit) B.E. 2567.
A Special Flight Permit, including permission for flight testing, may be issued for aircraft that do not meet standard CAAT certification requirements, provided they are capable of safe flight.
These permits must be approved by the Director General of CAAT before flying. They do not authorize flight outside the Kingdom of Thailand without the explicit permission of the destination country.
Prerequisites
Applicants must prepare and provide the documents and information listed under the “What do I need to include with my application?” section below.
Application Fees
There is no charge for the issuance of a Special Flight Permit or Flight-Testing permit.
Processing Time
The process consists of three stages. Please note that this timeframe may be extended depending on the results of the inspection and any necessary corrective actions (if applicable).
How long is the permit valid?
For a Special Flight Permit, the validity period shall be determined by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). This consideration is based on the specific conditions or requirements provided by the Type Certificate (TC) holders.
For aircraft flight-testing, the permit shall be valid for a period of fourteen (14) days, starting from the day following the date of approval, in accordance with the Announcement of the Department of Air Transport relating to Requirements for Flight-testing B.E. 2551.
What do I need to include with my application?
1.) List of documents for a Special Flight Permit application
According to the CAAT Announcement regarding Criteria for Permitting Prohibited Aircraft to Fly in Necessary Cases (Special Flight Permit) B.E. 2567:
- Intention letter
- CAAT-AIR-FM-CER-SFP-300 Application for Special Flight Permit
- Other documents as specified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand
2.) List of documents for a Flight-Testing application
In accordance with the Announcement of the Department of Air Transport relating to Requirements for Flight-testing B.E. 2551
- Intention letter
- CAAT-AIR-FM-CER-SFP-300 Application for Special Flight Permit
- Documents and evidence proving ownership or possessory rights of the aircraft by the applicant
- Power of Attorney documents and evidence of authorization from the owner or person with possessory rights to submit the flight-test application, in cases where the owner/possessor and the applicant are not the same person
- Aircraft insurance provided by the applicant covering damage to life, body, and property of third parties, subject to the conditions and coverage amounts specified in the Announcement of the Department of Air Transport relating to Requirements for Flight-testing B.E. 2551
- Other documents as specified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand
Operating Procedures and Sequences
1) Application Submission Process
1.1) Physical Submission of Application and Supporting Documents
Submissions can be made at the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) 222 Soi Vibhavadi Rangsit 28, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak Subdistrict, Chatuchak District, Bangkok 10900.
Staff will review the documents and record them in the system to ensure the application can be tracked later.
1.2) Online Submission via the EMPIC Syste
Applications and supporting documents can be submitted through https://www.caat.or.th/caat-empic/
Staff will review the documents through the system, and applicants can track their application status independently via EMPIC.
1.3) Document Review and Verification
Once documents are received, staff will verify their accuracy and completeness.
If the application is complete, it will proceed to the next stage.
If the application is incomplete or incorrect, staff will notify the applicant to submit additional documents within 10 working days.
The process will only move forward once all additional documents (if any) are provided.
If the applicant fails to provide the correct additional documents, staff may consider returning the application.
1.4) EMPIC System Notifications
For applications submitted via EMPIC, staff will contact the applicant through the system within 10 working days of receipt.
If the application is correct, it will proceed to the next step.
If the application is incorrect or incomplete, staff will request additional documents or may Reject the application, providing the reason within the system.
If you have any questions, you may contact the staff via
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 02-568-8840 or 02-568-8841
2) Inspection Process
2.1) Review of Application and Supporting Evidence:
- If the Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) is still valid and the aircraft remains airworthy, an aircraft inspection may not be necessary. In such cases, staff will proceed directly to the permit issuance stage.
However, under Section 41/81 of the Air Navigation Act B.E. 2497, if there is reasonable cause to suspect an aircraft is unsafe despite having a C of A, officials have the authority to issue a written order for an inspection. Staff will contact the applicant to schedule a date and time for the inspection. - If the aircraft does not possess a Certificate of Airworthiness, staff will contact the applicant to schedule an inspection.
2.2) Fee Notification:
Once the inspection date is confirmed, an Inspection Fees Invoice will be sent to the applicant via email within 5 working days.
The applicant must complete the payment and provide the Receipt to staff via email or other designated channels to continue the process.
2.3) Conduct of Inspection:
The inspection typically takes no more than 6 working days (excluding travel time). This timeframe is based on “Appendix B: Estimated Time and Number of Personnel” attached to the CAAT Regulation on Administrative Fees for Certificates and Permits B.E. 2561.
The process is divided into a document review and a physical aircraft condition inspection. Staff will summarize the findings on the final day of the inspection.
2.4) Corrective Actions:
If deficiencies are found, staff will notify the applicant via an Inspection Summary Report on the final day of the visit.
The applicant should rectify these deficiencies within 60 days and submit evidence of the corrections through the CA
3) Issuance of Special Flight Permit or Flight Test Permit
3.1) Final Approval and Issuance:
After verifying the evidence of corrected deficiencies (if any), staff will notify the applicant and seek approval from the Director General of CAAT to sign and issue the permit.
This process takes approximately 10 working days.
Staff will notify the applicant of the result and schedule the delivery of the permit via email or other contact channels.
Note: Permits and manuals can be collected in person at the CAAT office (requires a copy of the recipient’s ID card and signature) or sent via postal mail.
Additional Information
Aviation Laws / Regulatory Guidance
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