Thread: Airline News

What's with all the sudden interest in Krabi?

Air Arabia will begin direct flights between Sharjah and Krabi, Thailand, starting November 28, 2025, offering daily service using Airbus A320 aircraft. The new route marks Air Arabia’s third Thai destination after Bangkok and Phuket, further expanding its Southeast Asia footprint.

Flights will operate on two alternating schedules:

• Evening departures (G9 756/757) on Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun
• Morning departures (G9 732/733) on Tue/Thu/Sat

The airline highlights Krabi’s appeal for leisure and adventure travellers and reinforces its commitment to affordable travel. Bookings are now open via Air Arabia’s website, call centre, and travel agents.

Airbus eyes making Thailand Asia-Pacific aviation hub with new operations centre

Airbus forecasts a demand for about 20,000 new aircraft in the region over the next 20 years, accounting for half of the global aircraft demand.


Anand Stanley, President of Airbus for the Asia-Pacific region, announced that Thailand is emerging as a global leader in aviation, with rapid growth in the aviation industry, aviation technology, and aircraft orders. Airbus sees Thailand not just as a hub for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services but as a significant center for advanced technology and engineering within the region’s aviation sector.

Stanley pointed out that the Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing aviation market in the world, and Airbus forecasts a demand for about 20,000 new aircraft in the region over the next 20 years, accounting for half of the global aircraft demand. Thailand is identified as one of the largest markets within this growth, he said.


“This year, we expect to deliver a total of 820 aircraft globally, with the majority of orders coming from the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “In Thailand, Airbus aircraft are operated by Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, and Thai VietJet. Soon, Thai Airways will be launching its A321neo aircraft, featuring a new business-class seating configuration by the end of this year.”

Stanley further emphasized that Airbus is committed to supporting Thailand’s aviation industry, contributing to the country's economic development. The aviation sector in Thailand plays a key role in employment, with over 130,000 jobs and contributing over 7% to the country’s GDP before the Covid-19 pandemic. Thailand is also recognized as a leader in sustainability in the region.


Additionally, Airbus believes Thailand has the potential to produce more than 5 million tonnes of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) annually. The country’s agricultural sector, which can provide excellent raw materials for SAF production—such as molasses, rice straw, corn stalks, and animal waste—aligns with Airbus’s commitment to working with the Thai government and SAF producers to promote sustainable aviation fuel production.


To further underscore its commitment to Thailand, Airbus has invested in a new 1,200-square-metre office in the country, which also houses NAVBLUE, Airbus’s digital aviation operations unit. The new office will serve as a testing and verification centre for software solutions before delivery to global airline customers. It will also function as a regional operations hub to support and assist aircraft customers across the Asia-Pacific region in real time.

Airbus eyes making Thailand Asia-Pacific aviation hub with new operations centre

This country is fining impatient airplane passengers who stand up too early

It’s a topic of controversy when it comes to air travel: When your plane reaches its gate, when is the right time to stand up and begin the deplaning process?


In Turkey, passengers who get out of their seat before the plane has stopped taxiing or crowd the aisle before it’s their row’s turn to deplane will now face fines, according to a circular approved by the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Director General Kemal Yüksek instructed cabin crews for planes landing in Turkey to issue warnings that passengers who do not “respect the disembarkation priority of the passengers in front of or around you” will be reported to the authority and “an administrative fine will be imposed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations.”


This includes unfastening seat belts, standing up, opening the overhead compartments or crowding the aisle while the plane is still taxiing to the gate, but also standing up or proceeding into the aisle before the row’s turn to exit, the directive states. Yüksek noted in the circular that there has been a significant increase in reports of such behavior, which risks “passenger and baggage safety and security” and disregards “the satisfaction and exit priority” of other passengers.


The notice does not say how much passengers will be fined, but Turkish broadcaster Halk TV reported that it could be about 2,603 ​​Turkish lira, or $67.

Impatient passengers can actually delay the process of deplaning. Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the cabin crew has to alert the pilot if a passenger stands up while the plane is still moving toward a gate. “It is a safety issue,” Jennifer “Jaki” Johnson, a flight attendant for a major carrier as well as the CEO and founder of Jetsetter Chic, told The Post in 2019.


Etiquette experts say that passengers should wait for the rows in front of them to exit before stepping into the aisle, with the exception of allowing passengers through who have tight connections. They note, however, that when it comes to standing and stretching your legs after the fasten seat belt sign is turned off, there’s no harm in doing so at your seat, as long as you stay out of the aisle and remain mindful of the passengers around you.


The International Air Transport Association called disruptive passengers “a significant problem” in 2019, with one incident for every 1,053 flights reported in 2017. The U.S. had a spike in incidents in 2021, as travelers clashed with flight crews over mask mandates and other issues.


Numbers have dropped in the years since, but the FAA reported nearly 900 reports of unruly behavior for the first nine months of 2024 — more than were reported in all of 2018.

MSN

^ Sounds good to me but how are they going to single the offending passengers and fine them? Not let them leave the plane or hold them at the airport until they cough up the money?

And double it for those arseholes that put their bags in overhead lockers at the front when they're in 52K.

Man to be charged over stolen KrisFlyer miles used to shop at Changi Airport, Bugis

A 28-year-old man will be charged on Thursday (May 29) for allegedly making purchases using illegally obtained KrisFlyer miles, police said.


According to preliminary investigations, the Indonesian man, while overseas, accessed the KrisFlyer accounts of other individuals after buying them illegally online, the police said in a news release on Wednesday.

He then flew to Singapore last June, where he purportedly used the stolen KrisFlyer miles to buy a Samsung phone and phone cover from a shop in Changi Airport, as well as some pastries from a store in Bugis.


The items amounted to more than S$1,600, police said.


The suspected fraudulent transactions were detected by local merchants, and Singapore Airlines lodged a police report on Oct 11, 2024. Though police officers established the man’s identity, he had already left the country in September.


He was later detained at Changi Airport on Jan 11 this year when he returned to Singapore.


The man will be charged with two counts of unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1)(a) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. Such an offence carries a fine not exceeding S$5,000, up to two years' jail, or both.


He also faces two charges of unauthorised modification of computer material under the same Act. This offence carries a fine of up to S$10,000, up to three years' jail, or both.

The police reminded the public to safeguard online accounts by enabling multi-factor authentication or two-factor authentication, where possible, to enhance security.


"If you notice any suspicious or unauthorised transactions, please report the incident to your service provider or bank immediately," the police added.

Man to be charged over stolen KrisFlyer miles used to shop at Changi Airport, Bugis - CNA

Good. In other news, it staggers me the number of people on plane that go to the toilet with nothing or just socks on their feet

Turkey to fine airline passengers who stand up before plane stops


The Turkish civil aviation authority says it made the changes after receiving complaints from passengers

Airline passengers to Turkey will be fined if they stand up before the seatbelt sign turns off after landing, regulators have said.


The Turkish civil aviation authority said it imposed the order after receiving complaints from passengers. The rules came into effect earlier this month.


Turkish media reports say fines will be about about US$70 (£50), although no amount is mentioned in the authority's guidance.


The authority warned that there was a "serious increase" in such incidents, with many complaints about passengers grabbing overhead baggage before the plane has been parked.


Turkey is a destination for tens of millions of tourists every year.


The aviation authority said commercial airlines must now issue an in-flight announcement and report those who do not follow orders.


Passengers must be told to keep their seatbelts locked, and refrain from standing and opening overhead lockers until the seatbelt sign is off.


Those who do not follow these rules must be reported to the authority, it says.


Turkish Airlines, the national carrier, has updated its landing announcement, according to Euronews.


"Passengers who do not comply with the rules will be reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation through a Disruptive Passenger Report, and an administrative fine will be imposed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations," the airline says upon landing, according to the TV network.


The BBC has contacted the airline for comment.

Turkey to fine airline passengers who stand up before plane stops - BBC News

Well that's a bit fucking cheeky. I hope it encourages Thailand to look into it.

MANILA – The Philippines has ordered AirAsia’s digital platform to stop selling airline tickets in the country following complaints that it charged illegally high fares.
The authorities have asked the police to take down AirAsia Move’s website as part of a cease-and-desist order by the Civil Aeronautics Board, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said at a press conference on June 2.
The aviation agency, which sets price ceilings for airfares in the country, says the company hiked its prices following transportation troubles in Tacloban City due to the closure of a key bridge to trucks.
“We will really put the full force of the law on these unscrupulous online platforms that are taking advantage of our people,” Mr Dizon said.
The authorities will move to immediately file a case for “criminal economic sabotage” against the digital platform, which is owned by Capital A Berhad, he added.
Malaysia-based AirAsia Move, which is an affiliate of budget carrier Philippines AirAsia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During the weekend, AirAsia Move charged 77,000 pesos (S$1,800) for a one-way ticket from Manila to Tacloban City via Philippine Airlines, three times the price quoted when directly booking on the flag carrier’s website, Transportation Ministry data shows.

Philippines orders AirAsia Move website shutdown on excessive pricing | The Straits Times

And of course they're blaming it on someone else and saying it affected others when it actually affected people using their pricing data.

C u n t s.

The discrepancies in fare displays for certain routes, including domestic flights operated by Philippine Airlines, were caused by temporary data synchronization issues with flight pricing partners. This technical discrepancy caused by the third-party provider is not isolated to MOVE as it also affected other booking platforms across the industry, including Agoda, Kiwi.com, and Traveloka.

MILE CRY CLUB

Tourist Rolls on Ground in Tantrum Over Baggage Fees at Major Airport

A tourist went into full meltdown mode at Italy’s Milan Malpensa Airport, after she was reportedly told that she’d need to pay extra for her excessively heavy bag. The traveler, reportedly Chinese, was due to board a flight at the airport on June 8. However, gate staff told her that she’d either need to shed some weight or cough up for extra luggage allowance. This didn’t go down well, and the woman hit the deck in a toddler-style tantrum. Astonished onlookers, including police and airline staff, watched as the seemingly middle-aged woman rolled on the floor, waved her hands and screamed. At one point she digressed fully into a child-like state as she stomped her feet on the ground while laying down with her back flat to the ground. Reports suggested that the lady was eventually denied entry onto the plane. She is believed to have rebooked onto a later flight. SEA, the company that operates Malpensa Airport, has been contacted for comment along with Milan’s Polizia di Stato, the civil national police.

Tourist Rolls on Ground in Tantrum Over Baggage Fees at Major Airport