BANGKOK– The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered Nok Air (DD) to suspend international operations due to safety concerns. The carrier clarified that a faulty engine had already been removed and replaced following an earlier incident.
Nok Air (DD) is currently not operating international services as it is the low season. During peak months, the airline serves routes to China (NKG, NNG, CAN) and India (DEL, CCU).
Photo: By Richard Vandervord – http://www.airliners.net/photo/Nok-Air/Boeing-737-8V3/2472891/L/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37056734Nok Air Suspends International Flights
The order from CAAT, issued in a letter dated August 25, directed the budget carrier to suspend international flights and postpone any route expansion.
The decision followed a series of reported safety and performance issues, including in-flight engine shutdowns, runway excursions, hard landings, and tail strikes recorded between 2023 and 2025.
The most serious incident involved an in-flight engine shutdown on January 8, 2024, during a flight bound for Nanning (NNG). The aircraft landed safely using the remaining engine.
According to the airline, the defective engine was promptly removed and replaced. However, when CAAT requested a root cause analysis, Nok Air was unable to comply, as the removed engine was no longer in its possession.
Airline Response and Safety Record
Nok Air CEO, Wutthiphum Jurangkool, stated that the airline is preparing a formal response to the allegations and expects restrictions to be lifted within a month. He emphasized that in 21 years of operation, Nok Air has not experienced any fatal accidents.
He acknowledged the 2022 runway excursion at Chiang Rai Airport (CEI) during heavy rain but described it as a weather-related incident, not the result of operational negligence.
He added that Nok Air’s safety standards are validated through the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Operational Safety Audit and align with CAAT requirements.
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Nok Air, HS-DBG, Boeing 737-8FH, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79787683Staff Changes and Regulatory Pressure
The regulator also raised concerns about Nok Air’s safety culture, pointing to resignations among pilots, flight instructors, and inspectors. Jurangkool attributed these departures to competitive hiring by another low-cost carrier operating Boeing 737 aircraft, rather than safety shortcomings.
He highlighted that Nok Air’s pilots average 60–70 flight hours per month, well below the maximum threshold of 90 hours.
He also suggested the investigation may be linked to CAAT undergoing its own audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), prompting stricter enforcement across Thai airlines.
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