Bangkok Airways
Thailand · BANGKOK AIR · Active
Airline Identity
History
Bangkok Airways traces its roots to Sahakol Air, founded in 1968, and began scheduled domestic services in 1986 as Thailand's first privately owned domestic airline before being renamed Bangkok Airways in 1989. It built and operated its own regional airports — Samui (1989), Sukhothai (1996) and Trat (2003) — to serve tourist destinations underserved by state infrastructure, branding itself "Asia's Boutique Airline." It has remained an independent, privately held carrier throughout its history.
Current Operations
Bangkok Airways operates a fleet of Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft from its Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) hub in Bangkok, serving over 40 domestic and regional destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, the Maldives and Singapore, and is evaluating Airbus A220 and Embraer E2 jets as future fleet replacements with deliveries expected around 2028. It remains a privately held, independent carrier — majority owned by founder Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth and affiliated interests including Bangkok Dusit Medical Services — and is not part of any major global alliance, though it maintains codeshare agreements with over 30 international carriers. The airline is also notable for owning and operating three of its own regional airports: Samui, Sukhothai and Trat.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.