BBN Airlines Thailand Launches ACMI Operations with A320

BBN Airlines Thailand has begun ACMI operations, launching on December 1, 2025, with Thai VietJetAir as its first customer, according to a company press release. The carrier, recently rebranded from Thai SmartLynx Airlines, is operating its sole A320-200, HS-SXA (msn 5089), on domestic routes from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Chiang Mai and Phuket. Delivered in August 2025, the aircraft features 180 all-economy seats.

The airline secured its air operator’s certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand in late October and plans to expand its fleet to 15–20 aircraft within three to five years. Its growth strategy targets ACMI demand both within Thailand and in regional markets across Asia.

BBN Airlines Thailand is part of the Avia Solutions Group (ASG), which reinstated the airline’s original BBN branding after retiring the SmartLynx name. The launch comes as Thailand reverses a temporary waiver that had permitted foreign pilots to operate wet-leased aircraft on domestic routes, a change prompted by a legal challenge from a local pilots’ union after Thai VietJetAir wet-leased aircraft from ASG’s Avion Express Malta.

ASG also operates BBN Airlines Indonesia and BBN Airlines Türkiye, and previously ran Iceland-based BBN Airlines Nordic until 2024.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com