CAAT Orders Thai AirAsia to Revise Head Count System After Leaving Passengers

MGR Online•General•267d ago

Reader Briefing

Thai AirAsia Mandated to Revamp Passenger Counting System by CAAT Following Incident Where 23 Passengers Were Left Behind.

•The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered Thai AirAsia to revise its passenger head count system after 23 passengers were left on a bus.
•The incident, which occurred on flight FD3116 from Don Mueang to Hat Yai on January 17, 2026 (B.E. 2569), stemmed from communication and coordination errors.
•Thai AirAsia has admitted fault and will now require flight crews to re-count passengers before departure, especially for flights using bus gates, to prevent recurrence.

Overview

•On January 29, 2026 (B.E. 2569), CAAT posted a statement regarding the incident involving Thai AirAsia.
•On January 17, 2026 (B.E. 2569), flight FD3116 from Don Mueang to Hat Yai experienced an incident where 23 passengers were left behind on a bus.
•The incident gained public attention after a passenger shared their experience on social media.
•The issue is attributed to errors in the coordination and communication process between ground staff and flight crew.
•CAAT summoned Thai AirAsia for an explanation and to review the ground handling procedures and passenger checks.
•Thai AirAsia will implement changes by having flight crews re-count passengers before departure, particularly for bus gate operations.
•CAAT emphasized that protecting passenger rights and ensuring safety are the top priorities, issuing a warning to Thai AirAsia to report any impact on flight safety immediately.
•CAAT will closely monitor Thai AirAsia's implementation of corrective measures and ensure compliance with safety and passenger rights standards by all air operators.

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Key Quotes

CAAT

"CAAT summoned Thai AirAsia for clarification regarding stranded passengers on the bus, ordering strict ground measures and emphasizing passenger rights protection."

CAAT เรียกไทยแอร์เอเชียชี้แจงกรณีผู้โดยสารตกค้างบนรถบัส สั่งเข้มมาตรการภาคพื้น–ย้ำคุ้มครองสิทธิผู้โดยสาร

CAAT

"This incident reflects the importance of ground operations and communication that must be stringent at every stage."

เหตุการณ์ดังกล่าวสะท้อนถึงความสำคัญของกระบวนการทำงานภาคพื้นและการสื่อสารที่ต้องมีความรัดกุมในทุกขั้นตอน

Key Entities

Organization

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)(CAAT)ℹ️

Thailand's aviation regulatory body that issued directives to Thai AirAsia following an incident.

Thai AirAsia(ไทยแอร์เอเชีย)ℹ️

Airline implicated in an incident where 23 passengers were left behind on a bus.

Place

Don Mueang-Hat Yai(ดอนเมือง-หาดใหญ่)

Flight route for the specified incident.

Person

Sarun Benzunirat(นายศรัณย เบ็ญจนิรัตน์)

Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) who commented on the incident.