SAFETY CULTURE AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN LOW-COST AIRLINES IN THAILAND
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Abstract
This research on the safety culture and the effectiveness of the Safety Management System (SMS) of low-cost airlines in Thailand aimed to investigate the impact of safety culture on the effectiveness of the SMS, and to analyze the factors influencing the effectiveness of the SMS. This was a quantitative research study. The sample consisted of 252 aircraft mechanics from three low-cost airlines at Don Mueang Airport, namely Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, and Thai Lion Air. Data was collected using a 5-point rating scale questionnaire, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.94. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis. The results revealed that the overall safety culture was at a high level of agreement, and the effectiveness of the Safety Management System was at a high level. All five factors namely, informed culture, learning culture, reporting culture, just culture, and flexible culture correlated with the effectiveness of the Safety Management System at a statistical significance level of 0.05, accounting for 62.30% of the variance in effectiveness. Upon examining the individual influences, it was found that the flexible culture exerted the strongest influence, followed by the just culture, the reporting culture, and the informed culture, whereas the learning culture exhibited a negative influence. The findings suggest that promoting operational flexibility, fair administration, supporting non-punitive reporting, and providing comprehensive communication of safety information are crucial factors in enhancing the effectiveness of the Safety Management System in low-cost airlines. These factors can serve as guidelines for developing a safety culture within the Thai aviation industry.
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