Thai Court Reviews Bid to Block Foreign Pilots
Thailand’s Administrative Court is reviewing a temporary injunction filed by the Thai Pilots Association seeking to block the employment of foreign pilots on domestic flights, the Bangkok Post has reported. The court has not yet ruled on the case but has requested the Ministry of Labour to clarify its position and provide supporting evidence. Representatives from Thai VietJetAir and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) attended the hearing.
The dispute stems from Thai VietJetAir’s use of two A320-200s from Avion Express under a wet-lease to operate winter 2024/25 flights between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Phuket and Chiang Mai. The Thai cabinet approved the arrangement in December 2024 after the Labour Ministry endorsed a temporary waiver on restrictions for foreign pilots, citing a shortage of local crew.
The Thai Pilots Association disputes this rationale, arguing that many Thai pilots remain unemployed. Its president, Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, said the group’s main concern is the cabinet resolution’s lack of a clear timeframe, which could allow six-month contracts with possible renewals.
Since the lawsuit was filed in March, the CAAT has halted approvals for foreign pilots on domestic routes. The association is also seeking a permanent order to prevent the practice from being revived, warning that the policy could eventually lead to aircraft piloting being removed from Thailand’s restricted occupations list. The court’s decision will determine whether the waiver remains a one-off exception or sets a precedent for broader use of foreign pilots on domestic routes.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com