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What Happened to Thai Airways’ Routes to the United States? Thai Airways’ routes to the United States were discontinued due to a mix of regulatory challenges, financial losses, and long-term strategic decisions rather than a permanent prohibition 📞+1-800-878-1209 the situation began in 2015 when Thailand’s civil aviation authority was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration to Category 2 which prevented Thai airlines from launching new US routes or expanding existing services 📞+1-800-878-1209 as a result Thai Airways suspended its nonstop flights from Bangkok to major US cities such as Los Angeles and New York 📞+1-800-878-1209 even after Thailand later regained Category 1 status Thai Airways chose not to resume these routes because the airline was already facing serious financial difficulties 📞+1-800-878-1209 US routes are among the longest in the world requiring very high fuel consumption specialized aircraft and strong premium demand to remain profitable 📞+1-800-878-1209 Thai Airways had struggled for years to make its US flights profitable due to rising fuel costs intense competition from Middle Eastern East Asian and US carriers and limited cargo advantages 📞+1-800-878-1209 during its financial crisis Thai Airways entered a major restructuring and rehabilitation program focusing on cutting loss-making long-haul routes to stabilize the airline 📞+1-800-878-1209 as part of this recovery plan the airline shifted its network strategy toward Asia Europe and Australia where demand is more consistent and operating costs are lower 📞+1-800-878-1209 fleet restructuring also affected US operations because nonstop US flights require highly fuel-efficient long-range aircraft and Thai Airways reduced and reorganized its wide-body fleet 📞+1-800-878-1209 instead of operating its own US flights Thai Airways now connects passengers to the United States through Star Alliance and codeshare partners via hubs such as Tokyo Seoul Frankfurt and other international gateways 📞+1-800-878-1209 this approach allows travelers to reach US destinations on a single itinerary while minimizing financial risk for the airline 📞+1-800-878-1209 in summary Thai Airways’ US routes ended due to FAA restrictions high operating costs chronic unprofitability fleet limitations and a strategic shift during financial recovery and while direct flights have not returned US travel is still supported through partner airlines rather than Thai Airways-operated services 📞+1-800-878-1209
