Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) says Airbus is positioning the country as a regional hub for its digital aviation business, with Bangkok set to serve as the headquarters for Airbus’s Skywise unit across Asia.
BOI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said Airbus considers Thailand one of its core business bases after meeting Bert Porteman, president of Airbus Thailand, at the Rasa Tower II office in Bangkok.
Airbus has established a regional Flight Operations Center of Excellence under the Skywise brand, its digital arm, which will support the development of digital and modern aviation technology across Asia.
Airbus currently employs more than 200 people in Thailand, more than triple its 2022 headcount, with 85% being Thai nationals across engineering, software, design and technical roles. The company plans to hire more than 40 additional staff this year.
The BOI and Airbus also discussed building on Thailand’s automotive parts sector to enter the aircraft components supply chain, training personnel for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work, and developing Thailand as a production base for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Airbus, Europe’s largest aircraft and defence systems manufacturer, has operated in Thailand for more than 40 years and has over 150 commercial aircraft in the country, with customers including Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia and Thai Vietjet.
It also collaborates with GISTDA on the THEOS satellite programme, with Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) on military aircraft maintenance, and with the CP Group on sustainable aviation fuel.
Deepening ties
A key focus of the meeting was expanding Skywise, which develops airline software covering flight data analysis, safety management, crew planning and predictive maintenance. Airbus is expanding its Skywise software testing team in Thailand, using the country as its sole global testing base before software is delivered to airline customers.
Narit said Airbus intends to make Bangkok its Skywise headquarters for Asia, covering ASEAN, China, India, Japan and South Korea, reflecting Thailand’s readiness to support advanced engineering and software work with highly skilled personnel.
Airbus executives estimate global passenger numbers and fleet sizes will double over the next 20 years, driving demand for more than 20,000 new aircraft, against a current backlog of more than 9,000 aircraft on order. However, supply chain issues, labour shortages and geopolitical tensions are pushing manufacturers to diversify their supply chains.
Airbus views Thailand’s geopolitical neutrality and skilled workforce as strengths that could expand its role from automotive parts and precision components into aircraft structures, composite materials and cabin interiors. Airbus currently has about 80 Tier 1 to Tier 3 suppliers in Thailand.
A pathway for young minds
On workforce development, Airbus partners with King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Kasetsart University and Chulalongkorn University on aerospace engineering courses, alongside training in digital technology and AI.
For MRO, Airbus works with Thai Aviation Industries on helicopter and military aircraft maintenance, though a large-scale commercial MRO centre remains constrained by a shortage of technicians.
Airbus said Thailand has potential to become a leading SAF producer given its agricultural waste and ethanol industry, starting with used cooking oil in the short term and progressing to ethanol-based and synthetic fuels over the longer term, though this would require significant investment and coordination between government, industry and airlines.
Narit said the discussions reflect an opportunity for Thailand to raise its role across the aviation industry, from digital work to supply chains, MRO and fuel production, and that the BOI is ready to coordinate with Airbus and relevant agencies to advance the sector further.
The story BOI, Airbus shake hands on Bangkok’s Skywise Asia hub role as seen on Thaiger News.
