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.
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Thai airlines warn of looming pilot shortage crisis
Thailand’s aviation sector faces a looming pilot shortage as airlines expand fleets while many licensed pilots remain unable to return to duty. Vietjet Thailand CEO Woranate Laprabang said more than half of Thai pilots cannot return to work because they are unable to renew their licences. Pilots are required to regularly fly to maintain type ratings and must also undergo…
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Thai Airways warns of flight disruptions due to Typhoon Ragasa
Thai Airways has issued a notice to passengers regarding potential disruptions from Typhoon Ragasa, which is currently moving across Taiwan and Hong Kong. The typhoon may affect flights between Bangkok and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Bangkok and Hong Kong from September 22 to 24. The affected flights include TG630 from Bangkok to Kaohsiung and TG631 from Kaohsiung to Bangkok on September…
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Phuket-bound IndiGo flight diverted after bomb threat
An IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Phuket was diverted to Chennai, India after a bomb threat claimed explosives were onboard, prompting a full security response. The aircraft, carrying 176 passengers and six crew members, had taken off from Mumbai yesterday, September 19, before the scare unfolded. Midway through the journey, Mumbai airport staff received a call from an unidentified person who…
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Thai AirAsia X unveils 3 new routes for December takeoff
Thai AirAsia X will launch three new international routes from Bangkok to destinations in Central Asia, Northern Asia, and the Middle East ahead of the holiday season. The budget long-haul carrier announced that it will begin services to Almaty, Sendai, and Riyadh, giving Thai travellers more choice for winter escapes while opening fresh gateways for inbound tourism. From December 1,…
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Trang Airport opens new terminal after 4-year delay
Trang Airport has opened a new domestic terminal after years of construction delays, boosting capacity and marking a major step in regional air travel. The 1.07-billion-baht project finally saw a soft opening on September 5, when the terminal welcomed its first travellers. The launch followed extensive testing, including a simulation with 50 trial passengers to assess service procedures and identify…
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Phuket airport skips memorial for deadly One-Two-Go crash
Eighteen years after the One-Two-Go crash killed 90 people in Phuket, no memorial was held again, as Phuket International Airport instead staged dance shows. The crash of One-Two-Go flight OG269 on September 16, 2007, claimed 90 lives, yet Airports of Thailand (AoT) and its staff at Phuket airport have never held a memorial. No service was held in the days…
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Thai Airways axes first class in bold premium revamp
Thai Airways has confirmed that it will retire its first class cabins, a product once hailed as the pinnacle of luxury but now confined to just three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The decision closes a chapter in the airline’s history, with first class having once graced its flagship Airbus A380s, Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s. These exclusive cabins, occasionally used for…
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Thai pilots take flight over foreign hires on local routes
Thailand’s Administrative Court is reviewing a legal bid by a pilots’ group to block a government move allowing foreign pilots on domestic flight routes. The Thai Administrative Court is reviewing a request from the Thai Pilots Association to block the Ministry of Labour from allowing foreign pilots to operate domestic flights, according to the Bangkok Post. The petition seeks a…
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Thailand flies high with top marks in aviation safety audit
Thailand passed a major international aviation audit, earning praise for its safety standards and oversight after a thorough inspection by a global body. The kingdom has passed a comprehensive audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), earning global praise for its aviation oversight and safety standards. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) confirmed that Thailand scored an impressive…
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Thai AirAsia X launches Bangkok-Almaty flights from December
Thai AirAsia X is taking off into Central Asia with a new direct route from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Almaty, Kazakhstan, offering promotional fares starting at 6,690 baht. The airline’s first venture into the region aims to attract Thai travellers seeking visa-free trips, unique culture, and breathtaking natural scenery in a consistently cool climate. The service will operate four…
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Storm chaos: Cathay Pacific cancels 20 flights including to Bangkok
Cathay Pacific faced significant disruptions yesterday as Storm Tapah wreaked havoc across Asia, forcing the airline to cancel 20 flights on key routes spanning China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and beyond. Thousands of passengers were left stranded yesterday, September 8, at major airports, including those in Osaka, Beijing, Bangkok, and Seoul. Storm Tapah, which has intensified over the South China Sea,…
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Thai Airways shares soar post-trading resumption, strong profits
Thai Airways International’s (THAI) share price has increased by over 400% since resuming trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on August 4, attracting significant investor interest. This surge followed the airline’s second-quarter financial results, which revealed normalised profits exceeding market expectations by 465% year-on-year. This was attributed to reduced fuel costs and interest expenses as debt diminished under a…
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New non-stop Mumbai to Phuket flight opens doors for tourists
Mumbai, India’s bustling financial capital, is now directly connected to one of Thailand’s most coveted tourist destinations, Phuket, thanks to the launch of a new flight route by Akasa Air planned for September 20. This non-stop service promises to revolutionise travel between India and Thailand, offering an efficient and seamless journey, leaving behind the long layovers and connecting flights that…
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Thailand’s aviation authority may lift Nok Air flight suspension
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is considering lifting the international flight suspension for Nok Air after the airline submitted a safety improvement plan. The CAAT had initially halted Nok Air’s international operations due to safety standard concerns. Nok Air’s management has now provided documentation outlining their commitment to meeting CAAT’s safety requirements. The CAAT will evaluate the submitted…
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Bangkok Airways warns of U-Tapao airport pull-out
Thailand’s ambitious U-Tapao Airport project may be about to hit turbulence, with the consortium behind the 290-billion-baht development warning it could walk away after years of delays and government inaction. Bangkok Airways CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth confirmed that U-Tapao International Aviation Co Ltd (UTA), in which the airline holds a 45% stake, has asked for one month to decide whether to…
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Phuket Airport stages emergency drill as safety test Friday
Passengers flying through Phuket International Airport this Friday morning can expect to see chaos, but only as part of a full-scale emergency drill. Airport officials confirmed that the exercise, scheduled for 9am on Friday, September 5, will simulate a major incident under the Airport Contingency Plan. The goal is to sharpen safety standards and ensure staff are fully prepared to…
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Hat Yai Airport gets flashy facelift for 37th anniversary
From humble beginnings to high-flying growth, Hat Yai Airport is celebrating 37 years of connecting Thailand’s Deep South to the rest of the world, and it’s not stopping there. Airport director Kritsada Puksap, joined by deputy directors Nopphon Phayapphrai and Wing Commander Chaiyong Lamphrom, revealed impressive figures at a recent press conference. Between October last year and July this year,…
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Nok Air ordered to halt international flights over safety
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has directed Nok Air to pause its international flight operations and halt route expansion due to safety concerns. The airline, however, clarified that an issue with an aircraft engine has already been addressed by replacing it. Currently, Nok Air is not conducting international flights due to the low travel season. During peak times,…
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Vietjet turbocharges fleet with new Boeing jets and routes
Budget airline Vietjet Thailand is gearing up for a massive fleet expansion, rolling out new aircraft and routes in a bold bid to challenge rivals and scoop up millions more passengers. Chief Executive Woranate Laprabang confirmed the airline will acquire nine new Boeing 737-8 jets this year, moving towards a full Boeing fleet within five years. The switch will give…
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Thai Airways fast-tracks mega Boeing and Airbus fleet expansion
Bigger planes, more routes, faster growth: Thai Airways is betting big on a massive aircraft order to secure its future skies. Thai Airways International has confirmed an accelerated aircraft acquisition plan, placing orders for both Boeing and Airbus jets to expand its fleet and strengthen its Network Airline strategy. Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri revealed that the carrier is shifting…
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Bangkok simulator wins UK aviation seal of approval
Bangkok just scored a major lift-off in global aviation training: Acron Aviation’s state-of-the-art Airbus simulator has won the UK regulator’s seal of approval. Acron Aviation announced that its Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) at the Bangkok Training Centre (BTC) has been officially certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The approval, confirmed this week, marks a milestone for…
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Parking pain: Don Mueang slaps higher charges on travellers
Flying from Don Mueang next year could hit travellers in the pocket before they even leave the ground: airport bosses have announced a parking price hike from December. Don Mueang International Airport confirmed that parking fees across all its facilities will rise sharply, with the 7-24 hour rate more than doubling from 110 baht to 250 baht. The revised structure…
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SmartLynx Thailand lands first jet ahead of big launch
A new player is taxiing onto Thailand’s aviation scene as Thai SmartLynx Airlines has taken delivery of its very first aircraft, an Airbus A320, signalling its ambitious entry into the country’s skies. The 13.4 year old narrowbody jet, now carrying the Thai registration HS-SXA, touched down at Bangkok Don Mueang Airport on August 22. Previously flown by SilkAir, the A320…
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Chiang Rai airport gets 5.7 billion baht mega upgrade
Chiang Rai is set to soar with a massive 5.7-billion-baht terminal upgrade aimed at transforming the northern province into Thailand’s next aviation hub. Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) has greenlit a bold expansion plan for Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport, including the construction of a new passenger terminal to support a dramatic increase in air traffic. Announced by…
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Air Serbia eyes Bangkok return after decades-long break
Thailand could soon welcome more Balkan tourists directly, as Air Serbia considers reviving long-haul winter flights to Bangkok, a destination not served from Belgrade since the collapse of Yugoslavia. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) confirmed it’s in talks with the airline as part of a push to boost direct air access from the Balkan region. TAT’s marketing representative for…
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Free flights frenzy: Tourists lured with 700 million baht giveaway
Thailand is betting big on tourism, with a 700 million baht budget set aside to hand out free domestic flights to foreign travellers. The government is rolling out a bold plan to lure at least 200,000 more international tourists into Thailand’s heartland by offering free domestic air tickets. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong confirmed today, August 20, that he…
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Pattaya Airways turbocharges tourism with new jets
Thailand’s skies are about to get busier—and easier—as Pattaya Airways takes delivery of three ATR72 turboprop aircraft, a move aimed at fuelling domestic travel and making multi-city trips across the kingdom a breeze. The expansion, set to kick off in December, strengthens Thailand’s tourism rebound by adding more routes and increasing flight frequencies between major hubs and emerging hotspots. “These…
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Thailand taps Polish Airlines to lure big-spending tourists
Thailand is stepping up its campaign for European tourists with a bold new partnership with LOT Polish Airlines, spearheaded by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool. The deal targets high-spending Eastern Europeans, with Poland leading the charge, and aims to reinforce Bangkok’s ambition to become Southeast Asia’s aviation capital. The push comes as overall foreign arrivals…
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VietJet Thailand launches Phuket-Mumbai flights at 1,400 baht
VietJet Thailand has launched its inaugural flight connecting Phuket and Mumbai, expanding its network to India. Pinyot Phiboolsongkram, vice president of commerce and customer relations at VietJet Thailand, announced the new route on August 14, enhancing travel options between Thailand’s popular tourist destination and India’s largest city. The inaugural flight from Phuket to Mumbai was celebrated at Phuket International Airport,…
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AirAsia flight lands at Gimpo due to turbulence, not error (update)
AirAsia has refuted claims that one of its flights mistakenly landed at the wrong airport, which initially headed towards Seoul, explaining that the pilot diverted to Gimpo Airport due to turbulence. The budget airline clarified that flight D7506 from Sepang to Incheon initially landed at Gimpo for refuelling because of adverse weather conditions. AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismali stated that…
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