I suppose with the number of flights that operate around the globe on a daily basis, mistakes of all sorts are bound to happen. However, this story in the Bangkok Post is a real head-scratcher, because there are supposed to be layers of procedures in place to prevent something like this.
In this post:
Thai AirAsia leaves behind 23 passengers by mistake
This incident happened on January 17, 2026, and involves Thai AirAsia flight FD3116, a 7:10AM service scheduled to operate from Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) to Hat Yai (HDY). The Airbus A320 had 136 people booked onboard.
As is standard at many airports in many parts of the world, this flight was departing from a remote stand, meaning that passengers were shuttled from the gate to the plane on buses.
After 113 passengers boarded, the flight departed on schedule, though according to reports, an elderly passenger couldn’t find her friend onboard, even though she had checked in and was at the gate. As the plane began taxiing, the woman unbuckled her seatbelt and alerted the flight attendants that her friend was missing.
Initially, the crew reportedly dismissed the concerns, telling the passenger that her friend had simply missed the flight, and could catch the next one, or suggested that maybe the friend boarded the wrong bus. However, the passenger’s phone then rang, and she learned that her friend and 22 other passengers were trapped on the bus with its doors closed.
So the aircraft returned to its parking position around 7:45AM, where the 23 stranded passengers finally got onboard the aircraft. The flight then eventually took off at 8:03AM, nearly an hour behind the scheduled departure time.
Airline apologies for “communication errors between staff”
There are supposed to be checks in place to prevent something like this. Most crucially:
- Flight attendants typically perform a passenger count, to confirm the correct number of people are onboard the aircraft
- A ground agent is supposed to communicate with the lead flight attendant to confirm when the aircraft is ready for departure, that all preparations have been carried out, etc.
Thai AirAsia confirmed the incident in a statement, and attributed it to “coordination and communication errors between staff.” The airline is questioning all staff involved, has taken action in accordance with company regulations, and has implemented stricter supervisory measures to prevent a recurrence. It’s anyone’s guess what that actually entails, but that’s what’s claimed.
Bottom line
When you have to take a bus to a remote stand at an airport, you reasonably expect that the plane won’t leave without you. However, on a recent Thai AirAsia flight, that didn’t end up being the case, as the plane departed despite 23 passengers being on a bus to the aircraft.
What’s wildest to me is that the crew only figured this out when an elderly passenger pointed out that her friend wasn’t onboard. Even then she was initially dismissed, until the friend called and explained what was going on.
What do you make of this Thai AirAsia incident?
I remember the old days of Air Asia when there were not seat assignments and they used a hand clicker to do a head count. When you handed in your boarding pass, you had a number on the ticket between like 1-160. And someone sat with A4 paper and crossed out the corresponding number with a pen when you went to the boarding gate. At LCCT in Kuala Lumpur, there would be boarding gates literally...
I remember the old days of Air Asia when there were not seat assignments and they used a hand clicker to do a head count. When you handed in your boarding pass, you had a number on the ticket between like 1-160. And someone sat with A4 paper and crossed out the corresponding number with a pen when you went to the boarding gate. At LCCT in Kuala Lumpur, there would be boarding gates literally feet apart and more than once I was on a flight that people boarded thinking they were going to Singapore, but got on a plane going to Penang. The staff announced the destination to make sure people were on the right plane. Seat assignments were just done for monetization.
The Thai Air Asia team was strikingly worse than Malaysia Air Asia or the other countries. I contacted Tony Fernandes, founder of Air Asia, about this and it improved afterwards. It would be common for check in agents to just walk away from their desk for 10-15 minutes for a bathroom break or to get a cup of coffee. Really chaotic situation in an already chaotic country.
When I see Thailand and mistake, nothing surprises me. When I see Thai Air Asia, I bet stuff like this happens more often than is reported. And lately, with Air Asia overall, prices are frequently the same as carriers like Malaysia Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Batik/Lion group.
Well, had a similar incident on Lufthansa (LH), where the bus delivered us to the wrong plane. It was only discovered once passengers of a second bus arrived (which was actually the first bus from their perspective) and some of their seats had already been taken ...
Well, at least the bus was about as comfortable as on-board Air Asia.
Eh, still slightly better than Lion Air.
Air Asia, at least the Indonesian group, is more comfortable than most North American airlines, and with better service as well.
Baliken, um, no, not at all. Garuda is more akin to US3. Air Asia, including Indonesia, is like Spirt, Frontier, Allegiant, at best.
Confused. Were the missing passengers on the same bus but unable to board quickly enough before they shut the doors?
@Maryland That should not matter. No matter how fast or slow they were that should never be the reason to shut the doors. They were already considered boarded passengers with their boarding passes scanned at the terminal. The flight crew should not have closed the door on them. Like Lucky said there are procedures in place such as communication between flight and ground staff and doing headcount of the passengers. I remember on some of...
@Maryland That should not matter. No matter how fast or slow they were that should never be the reason to shut the doors. They were already considered boarded passengers with their boarding passes scanned at the terminal. The flight crew should not have closed the door on them. Like Lucky said there are procedures in place such as communication between flight and ground staff and doing headcount of the passengers. I remember on some of my flights even two crew members would do the headcount for ‘total’ accuracy.
Yes. I thought they required cross check, like when doors are armed. What i can't understand is how you have missed people! Thank you Stanley C
A Jet2 flight recently managed to take off from Manchester having left 31 passengers waiting on a stairwell having got lost between the scan and the jetbridge ! Doesn’t seem routine anymore to do head counts . I haven't seen one for a long time
I’m confused.
So gate-wise 136 passengers have boarded (or at least left the terminal building). Only 113 were on the plane and they still decided to leave. Aren’t they supposed to count the people on board ? Did nobody ask where these 20 passengers were? I find it bizarre even from a security pov