Thailand’s newest charter airline, Thai SmartLynx, has entered the scene, having taken delivery of its first Airbus A320.
The aircraft, which was previously owned by former Singapore Airlines subsidiary SilkAir, arrived at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport on Aug. 22, marking one of the biggest stages in the airline’s commencement of operations. The Airbus narrowbody is around midway through its years of service, being 13 years old according to Flightradar24, and will operate under the registration HS-SXA.
Thai SmartLynx is related to SmartLynx Airlines, a Latvian-owned charter airline and one of the largest aircraft lessors in Europe, recently venturing into cargo operations. This business model matches that of its new Thai Subsidiary, which plans to wet-lease services to carriers across Thailand.
Thai SmartLynx also plans to offer chartering services, which are similar to wet-leasing except that they take place over a shorter period of time. These can be done by airlines, but also non-aviation companies and individuals as well, such as sports teams when transporting their personnel.
The maiden aircraft took its ferry flight over from Denpasar, Indonesia, where it had previously been parked since late 2024, according to Thaiger. However, it’s not yet able to fly under the Thai SmartLynx brand, as the carrier has yet to receive its air operator’s certificate (AOC). The airline is hoping that the arrival of this aircraft should bring the carrier one step closer to attaining it.
