Orient Thai Airlines (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) has become the thirteenth Thailand-based commercial carrier to complete recertification with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

An official statement issued on November 29 indicates Orient Thai Airlines' new Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) was issued on November 9, 2017, and is valid through to November 8, 2022.

Orient Thai's fleet entails six B737-300s, two B737-400s, four B747-400s, five B767-300s, and two B767-300(ER)s and, prior to stopping international operations in early September 2017, had deployed them on regular flights between Bangkok Don Mueang and Phuket in Thailand, and Changsha Huanghua, Nanning, Shanghai Pudong, and Nanchang International in China.

As of December 1, other operators that are in line to complete the gauntlet include Siam Land Flying, H.S. Aviation, the Thai Flying Service Co., Jet Asia Airways, Bangkok Jets, Advance Aviation Jet, R Airlines, Asia Atlantic Airlines, R.P.S. System Co. (whose current AOC start-up Wisdom Airways had intended to use), VIP Jets (Thailand), and Siam Air.

The CAAT has said it expects to complete its recertification drive in January 2018.