The Supreme Administrative Court has denied the Thai Pilots Association’s request for an interim injunction to halt the approval allowing foreign pilots to operate domestic flights under a wet-lease agreement.
Despite this, the association continues to pursue the main case, aiming to revoke the Ministry of Labour’s announcement.
Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, president of the Thai Pilots Association, stated that the court decided that suspending the existing approval would hinder authorized personnel from flying on approved domestic routes. He warned this could disrupt flight planning, impact passenger and cargo transportation, and cause inconvenience for travelers and shippers.
Regarding the special permission from the Ministry of Labour, the Transport Ministry has authorized private companies to temporarily lease aircraft with crew for up to six months from the start of operations. This permit was issued to 38 pilots and co-pilots to support policies aimed at expanding Thailand’s flight capacity during recent years.
However, the association’s primary effort—to revoke this special permission—remains active, as the court has already completed its inquiry process, according to Mr. Teerawat. While there have been no recent requests from airlines to use wet-lease arrangements for this purpose amid the high season, he emphasized that the court’s decision could influence future requests from the government or airlines.
Despite the peak travel period, the number of unemployed pilots remains stable, largely due to delays in aircraft deliveries, notably from Boeing. Thai Airways, which plans to operate 15 Airbus A321neo planes, is recruiting student pilots to support its expanding fleet, but this move is unlikely to significantly reduce unemployment among experienced pilots, since airlines generally prefer to hire qualified pilots over students.
Mr. Teerawat, who is also a Thai Airways pilot, expressed support for the airline’s plan to acquire 10 Airbus A330-200 jets to enhance its hub-and-spoke network, which relies on both wide-body aircraft like the A330-200 and narrow-body planes such as the A321neo. He urged the airline’s board to approve this decision, noting that the matter is still under consideration.