Thailand – Thailand’s Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC) opened Commercial Pilot–Aeroplane course AP134 on September 14, 2026 for Thai Airways International, adding another airline-linked cadet cohort to its Hua Hin Flight Training Center.

The AP134 cohort comprises 24 Thai Airways student pilots and is the second Thai Airways-linked class of Thailand’s 2026 fiscal year. Training will run for 70 weeks at CATC’s Hua Hin Flight Training Center and includes both theoretical and practical phases.
Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri said the airline currently has approximately 1,300 pilots and expects to require more than 700 additional pilots over the longer term as its fleet expands. THAI is targeting 102 aircraft by the end of 2026, 111 in 2027 and 150 by 2033.
CATC said the 24 AP134 cadets will contribute to the pilot manpower required for approximately two additional Thai Airways aircraft, linking the training intake directly to the airline’s near-term fleet growth.
CATC is procuring eight Diamond DA40NG training aircraft, with the first four scheduled for delivery by March 2027. The acquisition forms part of a government-supported aircraft replacement and expansion program running from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
The training organization is also acquiring two Diamond DA40 XLT single-engine flight simulators, adding new synthetic training capacity alongside its existing Hua Hin flight-training equipment.
Infrastructure expansion is progressing in parallel. Phases 1 and 2 of the Hua Hin flight-school development are scheduled for completion by July 2027, while a subsequent phase covering student accommodation is planned to begin during fiscal year 2027.
CATC also confirmed that it has completed re-certification under Thailand’s TCAR PEL Part-ORA framework through the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, supporting continued delivery of approved pilot training under the updated regulatory structure.
CATC’s current published aircraft fleet comprises 29 aircraft: six Diamond DA42 TDI Twin Stars, eight DA40 TDI aircraft, eight DA40 CS aircraft, three Cessna 172Rs and four Robinson R44 helicopters. The incoming DA40NGs will progressively modernize the fixed-wing training fleet.
The AP134 intake follows earlier Thai Airways student-pilot training at CATC, including AP126, which was structured as a 70-week CPL/IR integrated course incorporating 792 hours of ground training, 150 aircraft flight hours and 30 simulator hours.

Source: Civil Aviation Training Center

Thai Flight Training Center Opens 24-Student Airline Cadet Course in September 2026

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