AirAsia plane in Thailand taxis back after 23 passengers left behind on shuttle bus
Thai AirAsia came under criticism after 23 passengers were left behind on a shuttle bus while an aircraft was preparing for departure, forcing the plane to taxi back to pick them up.
The incident occurred on Flight FD3116 from Don Mueang International Airport to Hat Yai on 17 Jan, which was scheduled to depart at 7.10am.
Source: Thailand Elite, for illustration purposes only
Facebook user Nat Natty recounted the incident in a post shared on 27 Jan, saying she and four friends had checked in online, cleared security, boarded the shuttle bus, and were seated on the aircraft in the first 10 rows.
Woman alerts cabin crew during taxiing
While the aircraft was taxiing in preparation for takeoff, a woman approached a flight attendant to say that her acquaintance, who had checked in together with her, had not boarded the plane and urged the crew not to depart.
According to the post, the flight attendant asked the woman to return to her seat and remain seated, as the aircraft was already in the process of departing.
The woman continued to insist that her acquaintance was missing. When asked about the person’s whereabouts, she called him and was told that he was still on a shuttle bus and unable to disembark because the bus doors had not been opened.
The situation prompted the aircraft to taxi back to its original position. At about 7.45am, the doors were reopened and the stranded passengers, 23 in total, were brought on board.
Source: Nat Natty on Facebook
Ms Natty questioned aviation standards and highlighted what she described as multiple lapses, including a lack of communication between ground staff and cabin crew, the apparent failure to conduct a proper passenger headcount, and shortcomings in ground handling procedures.
Passengers stranded on bus for about half an hour
Another Facebook user, Kamolthip Jariyavorakij, who was among those left behind, also shared photos showing the passengers stuck on the shuttle bus.
Source: Kamolthip Jariyavorakij on Facebook
“The AirAsia plane left right in front of our eyes while we were still at the bus gate,” she wrote, adding that the passengers remained stranded for about half an hour before the aircraft returned.
In a later update, she said staff explained that gate personnel had provided an incorrect count of shuttle buses, resulting in the third bus not being cleared for boarding.
She added that cabin crew told passengers they were unaware of the situation and that the error lay with ground operations.
Ms Kamolthip also questioned why the absence of 23 passengers went unnoticed and raised concerns that checked-in baggage belonging to those passengers had already been loaded onto the aircraft.
She later shared an email response from Thai AirAsia stating that the airline had launched an internal investigation and would follow up once it was completed.
Source: Kamolthip Jariyavorakij on Facebook
Airline admits coordination lapse
Thai AirAsia subsequently confirmed the incident in a statement issued on 28 Jan, according to Khaosod.
The airline said Flight FD3116 was carrying 136 passengers and acknowledged that a miscommunication and coordination error among ground staff prior to departure resulted in incomplete passenger boarding.
To ensure all passengers could travel together, the captain decided to return and take on the stranded passengers, causing a delay of about 36 minutes.
Thai AirAsia apologised for the inconvenience and said it had investigated the staff involved and taken action in accordance with company regulations, adding that supervisory measures had been tightened.
Regulator seeks explanation
On 29 Jan, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said it had summoned the airline to provide a detailed explanation of the incident.
In a Facebook post, CAAT said it was focusing on coordination and communication among ground staff, as well as passenger reconciliation and verification procedures carried out before departure, to assess compliance with safety and service standards.
Flight tracking data showed that Flight FD3116 arrived in Hat Yai later than scheduled, following the delay caused by the incident.
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Featured image adapted from Kamolthip Jariyavorakij on Facebook and Nat Natty on Facebook.
