Don Mueang Airport operations back to normal, AOT chief says

The visit followed a night of chaos caused by a global crash of the Navitaire check-in system, which led to widespread delays. The system failure, which began on Friday, affected several airlines, impacting about 200 flights.

During the outage, airlines were forced to resort to manual check-in procedures, extending the typical one-hour process to around three hours. Passengers were advised to arrive at the airport significantly earlier than usual.

To assess the situation first-hand, the AOT CEO visited Don Mueang Airport Saturday morning.

He reported that as of 11am, the check-in system had been fully restored, and passenger queues were diminishing. Despite the widespread disruption, only one flight cancellation was reported: an AirAsia X flight from Thailand to Osaka, Japan, scheduled for 10am Saturday.

"This was a one-time global issue, and it's unlikely to recur," Kirati said. "Our IT team has conducted a thorough review and implemented corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future." 

He emphasised that the situation has normalised, and passengers can now adhere to regular airport arrival times.

Affected passengers have been offered the option to change their flights or receive refunds. AOT has assured continued close monitoring of the situation to ensure smooth operations.

Kirati Kijmanawat

Kirati noted that this incident highlights the critical role of technology in modern air travel and the potential for widespread disruption when systems fail. AOT's swift response and return to normal operations demonstrate the resilience of Thailand's aviation infrastructure in facing unexpected challenges, he said.

Travellers are advised to check with their airlines for any residual impacts on their flight schedules, although operations are expected to continue normally from this point forward.