Aviation News

Stay updated with the latest aviation news at The Thaiger, your ultimate source for industry information. Keep informed on airline updates, airport developments, and travel trends across the globe.

Our comprehensive coverage ensures you’re always in the loop, with up-to-date articles and expert insights. Whether you’re a frequent flyer, aviation enthusiast, or industry professional, The Thaiger’s aviation news page is your essential guide to navigating the ever-evolving world of air travel. Immerse yourself in the dynamic community and latest advancements with our expertly curated content, designed to keep you connected and well-informed.

  • Sponsored

    Why is Bangkok's air quality so bad?

    Imagine waking up early in Bangkok and you see all the beautiful morning fog from your balcony, but as you sip your coffee you realise it's just Bangkok's air pollution that's making the sun rise aesthetic. Ranked as the 36th...

  • THAI spreads its wings: More flights to China as visa policy takes off

    THAI spreads its wings: More flights to China as visa policy takes off

    After a discussion with the Thai Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Srettha Thavisin, Thai Airways (THAI) is planning to increase its flights to China from 25 flights to 35 flights a week in response to the free visa policy for Chinese tourists. Srettha announced after the meeting with the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) that the government planned to extend…

  • THAI to reintroduce 9 domestic routes after closure plan of Thai Smile Airways

    THAI to reintroduce 9 domestic routes after closure plan of Thai Smile Airways

    Thai Airways (THAI) revealed that the airline is planning to reintroduce nine domestic routes by the end of this year following the closure plan of its subsidiary, Thai Smile Airways. In February, THAI announced that it would merge with Thai Smile Airways according to its business rehabilitation plan. All 800 Thai Smile Airways staff members would be transferred to work…

  • Suvarnabhumi Airport’s SAT-1 terminal to soft-launch boosting capacity by 33%

    Suvarnabhumi Airport’s SAT-1 terminal to soft-launch boosting capacity by 33%

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport, governed by Airports of Thailand (AoT), is set to soft-launch its Satellite 1 (SAT-1) terminal on September 28, following a successful full-scale trial involving 180 mock passengers and their luggage. The trial aimed to evaluate operations at both the SAT-1 satellite passenger terminal and the primary terminal, with Thai Airways offering assistance by supplying cabin crew and…

  • Ticket turbulence: Thai airlines aim to price things right amid rising costs

    Ticket turbulence: Thai airlines aim to price things right amid rising costs

    Thai airlines plan to explain the accusations of raising ticket prices amid higher jet fuel costs. The Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) announced it will host a seminar to clarify airfare structures and CAAT price regulations following consumer complaints. Nok Air CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool stated that price increases mainly occurred during extended holidays due to high demand, impacting last-minute bookings.…

  • Thai Airways takes off in new direction with operational shake-up

    Thai Airways takes off in new direction with operational shake-up

    Thai Airways International (THAI) Public Company Limited today announced several operational changes. THAI will use Airbus A320 aircraft for routes formerly managed by THAI Smile Airways: Ahmedabad, Kaohsiung, and Penang. The A320s will also fly to Kolkata, a route currently operated by THAI. Changes begin on September 1 for Ahmedabad and October 15 for Kolkata. The detailed flight schedule is…

  • Thailand’s PM plans secondary city airport revitalisation to boost tourism

    Thailand’s PM plans secondary city airport revitalisation to boost tourism

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s recent plan to revitalise airports in secondary cities has been warmly received by tourism operators in Nakhon Ratchasima. The airport revitalisation proposal, aimed at driving up tourist arrivals and stimulating the economy, was announced yesterday. Local tourism promotion association’s leader, Pongthep Malachasing, sees this as a golden opportunity to invigorate Nakhon Ratchasima Airport. The airport, despite…

  • Plea for flight: Provincial governor urges reconsideration after Thai Smile route closure

    Plea for flight: Provincial governor urges reconsideration after Thai Smile route closure

    Thai Smile’s decision to discontinue flights from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Surat Thani Airport, beginning October 1, has led provincial governor, Witchawut Jinto, to appeal for a reversal. Jinto submitted a formal letter to Thai Smile, an affiliate of Thai Airways, requesting the continuation of the Suvarnabhumi-Surat Thani route. The governor expressed public discontent over Thai Smile’s plans, which are…

  • Thai AirAsia targets 40% domestic market share by 2023, plans Japan expansion

    Thai AirAsia targets 40% domestic market share by 2023, plans Japan expansion

    Thai AirAsia, a leading low-cost airline, has set a goal to command 40% of the passenger market share domestically by the close of 2023. This comes as the airline intends to introduce two additional routes in Japan in the upcoming year. In a revealing disclosure, Santisuk Klongchaiya, the Chief Executive of Thai AirAsia, mentioned that the airline’s market share in…

  • Runway cracks resolved: Phuket Airport gets back on smooth flight path

    Runway cracks resolved: Phuket Airport gets back on smooth flight path

    Airports of Thailand’s Phuket branch, responsible for managing Phuket International Airport, confirmed yesterday, that the runway cracks which led to multiple flight delays and one diversion to Krabi have been addressed and rectified. The announcement was initially made via state-run Radio Thailand Phuket last night. It was also announced by the National News Bureau of Thailand’s national platform but it…

  • Clear for takeoff: Thailand’s aviation adopts pay-to-fly models amid post-Covid revival

    Clear for takeoff: Thailand’s aviation adopts pay-to-fly models amid post-Covid revival

    Thailand’s aviation industry is witnessing growth in pay-to-fly employment models after the struggle to regain its pre-Covid footing. In these arrangements, licensed pilots are required to pay more than 1.5 million baht (US$ 42,702) for training, a prerequisite to securing a job. This is happening against a backdrop of pilot salaries remaining below pre-pandemic levels due to a decrease in…

  • Sacred wings: Thai Airways welcomes 2 new A350 models for modern travel

    Sacred wings: Thai Airways welcomes 2 new A350 models for modern travel

    Thai International Airways (THAI) boosted its fleet with two newly blessed Airbus A350-900 aircraft designed for the modern traveller. The up-to-date design boasts private video touch screens on every seat. The Reverend Maha Ratchamongkol Muni, the assistant abbot of Wat Traimit Wittayaram, yesterday, August 9, presided over a blessing ceremony. These two latest additions to the portfolio of Thai Airways…

  • Smooth skies ahead: THAI-turkish partnership signals global travel upswing

    Smooth skies ahead: THAI-turkish partnership signals global travel upswing

    A monumental leap forward for international air travel took flight yesterday when Thai Airways International (THAI) and Turkish Airlines secured a memorandum of understanding. The anticipated partnership will focus on the cut-throat competition prevalent on Asia-Europe routes. Commonly, airline collaborations entail synchronising schedules and revenue sharing. For instance, Qantas Airways and Emirates have a working partnership on Europe-Australia services. However,…

  • Sky’s the limit: Krabi Airport’s expansion set to soar by 2025

    Sky’s the limit: Krabi Airport’s expansion set to soar by 2025

    The redevelopment of Krabi International Airport, expected to amplify its passenger capacity to 8 million annually, is slated for completion by late 2024 with the new infrastructure being operational by 2025, according to an announcement from the Department of Airports. The scheme encompasses the addition of a third passenger terminal and enhancements to the existing two terminals and car park…

  • Budget airlines hike flights to China amid sluggish post-Covid recovery

    Budget airlines hike flights to China amid sluggish post-Covid recovery

    In an attempt to achieve post-Covid recovery, budget airlines across the globe have increased flight frequencies to China. However, travel and capacity are yet to reach pre-Covid volumes. On its side, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is being circumspect about implementing a visa fee waiver scheme to draw in more international visitors. Despite loom border controls from the start…

  • Thai Smile Airways’ turbulent tiff: Passenger’s ‘left-behind’ fiasco halts takeoff in Chiang Mai (video)

    Thai Smile Airways’ turbulent tiff: Passenger’s ‘left-behind’ fiasco halts takeoff in Chiang Mai (video)

    A Thai Smile Airways flight had to make an emergency stop as it taxied down the runway after a foreign passenger demanded the plane returned to the terminal gate so he could pick up his left behind valuables at Chiang Mai International Airport. A Thai TikTok user, bandzlam, shared a video of the incident when a foreign man urged a…

  • Delta Airlines passengers endure 44°C heat for 4 hours on Las Vegas runway

    Delta Airlines passengers endure 44°C heat for 4 hours on Las Vegas runway

    On a Delta Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta, passengers were forced to wait for four hours on the tarmac in searing temperatures of up to 44°C, further exacerbated by non-functioning air conditioning. This resulted in several passengers, including air hostesses, fainting and needing immediate medical attention. A foreign media outlet reports that this extreme situation was due to…

  • EasyJet offloads 19 passengers to tackle weighty situation, 19,000 baht compensation offered

    EasyJet offloads 19 passengers to tackle weighty situation, 19,000 baht compensation offered

    The EasyJet airline delayed a flight for two hours asking 19 passengers to disembark, citing excessive aircraft weight, according to the Daily Mail website. The aircraft was travelling from Lanzarote, Spain, to Liverpool, England. The flight was originally slated to leave the airport at 9.45pm, but poor weather conditions meant that several hours passed without the plane taking off. Some…

  • THAI lags as Centara Grand emerges Thailand’s strongest brand

    THAI lags as Centara Grand emerges Thailand’s strongest brand

    The sluggish revival of business tourism, coupled with Thailand’s failure to establish itself as a global connection hub, has resulted in the brand value of Thai Airways (THAI) lagging behind its rivals. Conversely, Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts has emerged as the strongest brand in the nation this year. According to Alex Haigh, who serves as the Asia-Pacific Managing Director at…

  • Air collision leads to 2 pilots’ deaths in Columbia

    Air collision leads to 2 pilots’ deaths in Columbia

    An air incident occurred in Colombia where two training aircraft of the Colombian Air Force collided mid-air, leading to a tragic end. One of the planes crashed to the ground on July 1, resulting in two pilots losing their lives. The event, believed to be part of a practice session for an upcoming Aeronautical Fair, was caught on a video that…

  • Bird collision delays Thai Vietjet flight, 159 passengers affected at Khon Kaen Airport

    Bird collision delays Thai Vietjet flight, 159 passengers affected at Khon Kaen Airport

    A Thai Vietjet flight at Khon Kaen International Airport was disrupted after a bird collided with the aircraft’s engine, causing delays for 159 passengers. The incident occurred while the plane was parked, awaiting passengers for the VZ215 service from Khon Kaen to Suvarnabhumi Airport. The bird, reportedly an owl, struck the right engine of the parked aircraft at around 7.35pm,…

  • Boeing launches Cascade tool to aid zero-emission aviation by 2050

    Boeing launches Cascade tool to aid zero-emission aviation by 2050

    Boeing Co has introduced a data modelling tool, Cascade, designed to assist airlines and policymakers in determining the most efficient route to achieve zero aviation emissions by 2050. The tool enables users to manipulate various variables, such as the adoption of sustainable fuels or electric propulsion, the replacement of older aircraft, operational enhancements, and other advanced technologies, to better comprehend…

  • Biodiesel and used cooking oil set to fuel sustainable aviation industry

    Biodiesel and used cooking oil set to fuel sustainable aviation industry

    Biodiesel, which is a combination of diesel and palm oil-derived methyl ester, as well as previously discarded used cooking oil, is now competing to revolutionise the aviation industry. These two oils can be processed to create sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), an eco-friendly biofuel for aircraft. Many companies are keen to produce SAF as airlines become increasingly aware of its potential…

  • Government of Thailand give green light for Eastern Aviation City takeoff

    Government of Thailand give green light for Eastern Aviation City takeoff

    Construction on the Eastern Aviation City is ready for takeoff this year after the Government of Thailand gave the green light for work to start on the 290 billion baht (US$8.8bn) project. No official date has been confirmed but work is scheduled to start before June. The original project was officially signed in June 2020. An agreement was made between…