Thai Court Denies Bid to Suspend Foreign Pilot Permits

Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court has rejected a request from the Thai Pilots Association (TPA) to temporarily suspend the government’s approval allowing foreign pilots to operate domestic flights under wet-lease agreements, according to the Bangkok Post.

TPA president Teerawat Angkasakulkiat said the court ruled that suspending the permits would disrupt flight operations and negatively affect passengers and cargo services. The interim petition sought to halt a Ministry of Labour order enabling airlines to wet-lease aircraft with foreign crews for up to six months.

Under the measure, 38 foreign pilots and co-pilots have received temporary work permits, introduced by the previous government to support airline capacity expansion. The Ministry of Transport subsequently approved the related wet-lease operations.

While the injunction was denied, the TPA’s main lawsuit seeking to revoke the authorisation entirely remains under consideration. Teerawat noted that the decision could serve as a precedent for future labour ministers when reviewing similar applications.

The TPA continues to argue that Thai pilot unemployment remains high, largely due to aircraft delivery delays from Boeing. Although Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) is hiring new pilots for its incoming A321-200NX fleet, most jobless pilots are unlikely to be rehired.

The dispute originated from Thai VietJetAir’s (VZ, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) use of two A320-200s from Avion Express (X9, Vilnius) on domestic routes during the 2024/25 winter season. The arrangement, approved by the previous cabinet citing a shortage of local pilots, is contested by the TPA, which insists that qualified Thai pilots remain available.

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