According to the complainant, the airline’s call centre was contacted about the promotion, but staff said flights had been cancelled. TLA cited an IT system failure in Myanmar for the cancellation, said a passenger who asked not to be named.
Thai Lion Air (TLA) will be called for questioning after allegedly selling tickets for flights to Myanmar despite not having prior approval to fly to the country.
This followed a complaint, after the airline launched a promotion on April 25 for flights starting on May 20, even though it did not have permission from Myanmar aviation authorities to fly there, reported Bangkok Post.
According to the complainant, the airline’s call centre was contacted about the promotion, but staff said flights had been cancelled. TLA cited an IT system failure in Myanmar for the cancellation, said a passenger who asked not to be named.
Quoting a senior executive at TLA, the passenger added that the airline is in the process of getting approval for flights to Myanmar and that tickers were sold in advance due to the carrer’s marketing strategy.
“This shows that the airline was somehow allowed to sell tickets in advance despite not having permission to operate the route,” said the passenger to Bangkok Post.
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said such practices cannot be condoned and ordered agencies to address the issue. Passengers would also be alerted.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) was also probing the issue, according to permanent secretary for transport Chartchai Tipsunave.