Fuel crisis forces Thai Airways, Thai Lion Air and Thai AirAsia to cut flights

Thai airlines are being battered by the aviation fuel crisis as prolonged tensions in the Middle East keep Jet A-1 prices two to three times higher than normal levels.

The surge has pushed fuel costs from about 30% to more than 50% of airlines’ total operating costs. Combined with the low season, several Thai carriers, including Thai Airways, Thai Lion Air and Thai AirAsia, have continued to cancel or reduce flights during the second quarter and into the third quarter of 2026.

Thai Airways routes cancelled or reduced

Thai Airways has cancelled or reduced flights on 10 routes as follows:

• TG335: Bangkok-New Delhi, cancelled from June 1-30, 2026
• TG336: New Delhi-Bangkok, cancelled from June 1-30, 2026
• TG630: Bangkok-Kaohsiung, Taiwan, cancelled on June 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 20, 23, 25 and 26, 2026
• TG631: Kaohsiung, Taiwan-Bangkok, cancelled on June 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 20, 23, 25 and 26, 2026
• TG638: Bangkok-Hong Kong, cancelled on June 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 22 and 23, 2026
• TG639: Hong Kong-Bangkok, cancelled on June 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 22 and 23, 2026
• TG670: Bangkok-Sapporo, cancelled on June 7, 8, 9, 15 and 22, 2026
• TG671: Sapporo-Bangkok, cancelled on June 8, 9, 10, 16 and 23, 2026
• TG694: Bangkok-Changsha, cancelled from June 1 to September 30, 2026
• TG695: Changsha-Bangkok, cancelled from June 1 to September 30, 2026

Thai Lion Air routes temporarily suspended or reduced

Thai Lion Air has temporarily suspended or reduced services on the following routes:

• Don Mueang-Taipei-Nagoya: No flights from July 6-31, 2026, down from three flights per day
• Don Mueang-Shenzhen: Suspended from June 1-17 and June 19-30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Tianjin: Suspended from June 1 to July 31, 2026
• Don Mueang-Datong: Suspended from May 23 onwards
• Don Mueang-Hefei: Suspended from June 1 onwards
• Don Mueang-Jinan: Suspended from June 1 onwards
• Don Mueang-Linyi: Suspended from May 1 to September 30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Nanchang: Suspended from May 24 onwards
• Don Mueang-Xi’an: Suspended from June 2 to July 2, 2026, except on June 21
• Don Mueang-Amritsar: Suspended from May 26 to August 31, 2026
• Don Mueang-Bengaluru: Flights reduced from June 1-30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Delhi: Flight frequency reduced from June 20 to September 30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Surabaya: Flights reduced from June 2 to October 1, down from three flights per day
• Phuket-Singapore: Suspended from June 3 to August 1, before resuming at two flights per week from August 2-31, down from four flights per week
• Don Mueang-Kathmandu: Flights reduced from June 1 to August 31, 2026

Thai AirAsia routes cancelled or temporarily suspended

Thai AirAsia has cancelled or temporarily suspended flights on the following routes:

• Suvarnabhumi-Buri Ram: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Chiang Rai: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Khon Kaen: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Hat Yai: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Krabi: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Surat Thani: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Nakhon Si Thammarat: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Udon Thani: June 1-30, 2026
• Suvarnabhumi-Narathiwat: From April 21, 2026 onwards
• Don Mueang-Guwahati: Until October 24, 2026
• Don Mueang-Kathmandu: Until July 31, 2026
• Don Mueang-Bali: Until June 30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Hong Kong: Until June 30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Singapore: Until June 30, 2026
• Don Mueang-Jaipur: June to October 24, 2026
• Don Mueang-Ahmedabad: June to October 24, 2026
• Don Mueang-Hyderabad: June 1 to October 24, 2026
• Don Mueang-Lucknow: June 3 to October 24, 2026
• Don Mueang-Xi’an: From May 11, 2026 onwards
• Phuket-Chennai: From April 13, 2026 onwards
• Phuket-Kochi: From April 17, 2026 onwards
• Hong Kong-Okinawa: From May 7, 2026 onwards

Fuel costs have now risen by more than threefold, forcing airlines to restructure fares and flight plans to reflect actual operating costs.

Passenger volume has also slowed, prompting airlines to reduce frequencies and temporarily suspend some routes during the low season. However, airlines are maintaining sufficient seats on core routes and are ready to increase flights again if costs ease and demand recovers.

The Middle East conflict has driven up oil prices, with Jet A-1 aviation fuel rising by two to three times compared with levels before the conflict.

The price has reportedly surged from about US$80 per barrel to more than US$240 per barrel, increasing the cost of each flight. Fuel previously accounted for about 30% of the cost per flight, but has now risen to more than half of total operating costs.