Nok Air suspends all international flights after regulator cites safety concerns

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Global Industry News

Nok Air suspends all international flights after regulator cites safety concerns

Policy

Patrick Shanahan, President and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Sep 6, 2025

Nok Air has suspended all international flights following an order from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) to address safety and staffing concerns. The decision, reported by the Bangkok Post, affects the low-cost carrier’s limited international network, which includes routes to China and India.

The CAAT sent a letter on August 25, 2025, to Nok Air CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool highlighting a series of safety-related incidents that occurred between 2023 and 2025. These included inflight engine shutdowns, runway excursions, hard landings, and tail strikes. The regulator emphasized ongoing concern about unresolved causes behind the inflight engine shutdowns.

Nok Air had already stopped operating its five international routes since June 2025 due to seasonal demand patterns for travel to China and India. The suspension by regulators halts any plans for overseas expansion in the near term.

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In response to the allegations outlined by authorities, Nok Air said CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool is preparing a formal reply and expressed confidence that restrictions could be lifted within a month. "CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool is preparing a formal reply to the allegations and expressed confidence that the flight restrictions could be lifted within a month," according to company statements cited in local media.

The airline has also seen several resignations among pilots, flight instructors, and aviation inspectors. According to The Nation Thailand, these departures point toward deeper issues related to safety culture and workforce morale at Nok Air.

The timing of CAAT’s intervention comes as Thailand undergoes an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audit under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). This audit evaluates national aviation oversight capabilities and runs from August 27 through September 8, 2025. Authorities’ actions are viewed as part of efforts to ensure compliance with ICAO standards ahead of this assessment.

Thailand recently regained FAA Category 1 aviation safety status after nearly ten years at Category 2. This upgrade was confirmed by the US Federal Aviation Administration in April 2025 and allows Thai airlines direct access to United States markets. The improvement reflects broader progress in meeting ICAO requirements (https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/thailand-meets-international-aviation-safety-standards).

Founded in 2004, Nok Air operates mainly from Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok but also maintains bases at Chiang Mai International Airport and Phuket International Airport. Its fleet consists of fourteen Boeing 737-800 aircraft with an average age of just over eleven years (https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/DD). While primarily serving domestic destinations—eighteen cities across Thailand—the airline previously offered five international routes before this suspension.