CAAT summons Thai AirAsia over flight that departed without 23 passengers
Thailand’s aviation regulator has asked Thai AirAsia to explain how 23 passengers were left behind on FD3116 from Don Mueang to Hat Yai, prompting the aircraft to return and causing a 36-minute delay.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said it is aware of an incident involving Thai AirAsia flight FD3116 on the Don Mueang-Hat Yai route on January 17, 2026, in which passengers were left behind during the transfer process between the terminal and the aircraft, causing the flight to depart later than scheduled.
CAAT said it has summoned the airline to clarify the facts surrounding the incident, focusing in particular on coordination and communication among ground staff, as well as procedures for verifying that all passengers are on board before departure. The regulator said it will assess whether the handling of the case complied with required safety and passenger service standards.
Earlier, Thai AirAsia issued its own explanation, saying FD3116 had been scheduled to depart Don Mueang (DMK) at 7.10am and arrive at Hat Yai (HDY) at 8.45am, carrying 136 passengers.
The airline said checks found a coordination and communication error among staff before departure, which affected passenger completeness. To ensure all passengers travelled as intended, the captain decided to take on the remaining passengers, resulting in a delay of about 36 minutes.
Thai AirAsia apologised for the inconvenience, said it had launched an internal investigation into staff involved and taken action in line with company regulations, and added that it would tighten supervisory measures to prevent a repeat.
