Thai AirAsia cuts flights by 30% in May–June, in response to high fuel costs and declining travel demand, on both domestic and international routes.
Thai AirAsia has announced a reduction in flights during the second quarter, covering May–June 2026, trimming its schedule by approximately 30% following the ongoing impact of rising fuel costs and a mid-year slowdown in travel demand. On domestic routes, some services operating from Suvarnabhumi Airport will be temporarily suspended, while full coverage of all routes from Don Mueang Airport will be maintained. On international routes, the cuts focus primarily on the India market, due to high operating costs and an inability to offer fares that cover those costs.
Mr. Pairach Pornpattananangkul, Chief Executive Officer of Thai AirAsia, said that the airline has continually worked to adapt and manage costs to the best of its ability following the impact of rising jet fuel prices. "We have had no choice but to raise fares in line with actual costs, which has in turn led to a decline in travel volumes and passenger load factors. Combined with the fact that the mid-year period is already a naturally slower travel season, the airline has found it necessary to reduce flight frequencies and temporarily suspend services on a number of routes, while still striving to maintain sufficient seat capacity to meet travel demand in each period," he said.
"Fuel costs are a core expense for any airline, and jet fuel prices have risen more than threefold. We have therefore had to tighten our operational plan by reducing flight frequencies and temporarily cancelling services on a number of unprofitable routes. For domestic routes, we have scaled back the schedule at Suvarnabhumi Airport, retaining only the direct Suvarnabhumi–Chiang Mai and Suvarnabhumi–Phuket routes in May and June. As for Don Mueang Airport, we continue to operate all routes at frequencies aligned with demand," Mr. Pairach said.
For international routes, the airline has suspended flights primarily in the India market, as these routes carry high operating costs and cannot be served at cost-effective fares. Operations in the China, East Asia, and ASEAN markets are being maintained. Nevertheless, the airline has adopted a more flexible marketing strategy and is monitoring the situation closely. Should fuel prices ease and travel demand show an upward trend, the airline is ready to quickly restore its flight schedule.
Schedule of temporarily suspended routes — Thai AirAsia
Domestic routes:
Suvarnabhumi–Buriram (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Chiang Rai (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Khon Kaen (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Hat Yai (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Krabi (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Surat Thani (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Nakhon Si Thammarat (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Udon Thani (suspended 28 April – 30 June 2026)
Suvarnabhumi–Narathiwat (suspended from 21 April 2026 onwards)
(Direct flights from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to all of the above destinations continue to operate normally.)
International routes:
Don Mueang–Guwahati (suspended 29 April – 24 October 2026)
Don Mueang–Kathmandu (suspended 1 May – 31 July 2026)
Don Mueang–Bali (suspended 1 May – 30 June 2026)
Don Mueang–Hong Kong (suspended 12 May – 30 June 2026)
Don Mueang–Singapore (suspended 12 May – 30 June 2026)
Don Mueang–Jaipur (suspended 12 May – 24 October 2026)
Don Mueang–Ahmedabad (suspended 28 May – 24 October 2026)
Don Mueang–Hyderabad (suspended 1 June – 24 October 2026)
Don Mueang–Lucknow (suspended 3 June – 24 October 2026)
Don Mueang–Xi'an (suspended from 11 May 2026 onwards)
Phuket–Chennai (suspended from 13 April 2026 onwards)
Phuket–Kochi (suspended from 17 April 2026 onwards)
Hong Kong–Okinawa (suspended from 7 May 2026 onwards)
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