US aid for Thai Civil Aviation, 1947–1959

Bibliographic Data

ID9956582
AuthorsWaqar Zaidi (0000-0003-1056-6676, Lahore University of Management Sciences, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume45
Issue3
Pages602-633
Publication date2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Transport History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-5266 • E-ISSN: 1759-3999
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00225266241291930
OpenAlexW4404902650
LanguageEN
References cited21

Thailand's aerial geostrategic importance led the United States to offer a generous air aid programme in the 1950s. The US funded the refurbishment of airfields across the country: the extension and hardening of airstrips, and the construction of new tarmacs, terminal buildings and navigation equipment. They also provided technical training to Thai nationals. The leading US international airline Pan American Airways helped modernize Thai Airways. In this paper, I explore the broad outlines of this programme and focus in particular on Pan American's assistance. I argue that although the airport and navigation assistance portions of the programme were largely successful, the Pan American assistance side of the project largely failed to meet expectations

Aeronautics · Aviation · Civil aviation · Operations research · Political science · Aerospace Engineering · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Engineering · History · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies

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