Lucky Air has cancelled the planned September 8 launch of its charter route linking Kunming and Udon Thani, disrupting September tour programmes arranged around the new service.
The airline told the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Sunday, September 6, 2026, that it could not operate the inaugural Kunming-Udon Thani-Kunming flight as scheduled. No replacement launch date has been announced.
Two tour operators, Maxtour Education and Journey Ticket, said they had been informed by Lucky Air that September flights from Udon Thani to Kunming had been cancelled, meaning their groups could not travel as planned.
Tour operators promise immediate refunds
Maxtour Education and Journey Ticket said they would issue full and immediate refunds for payments received for affected programmes. They said they would not wait for Lucky Air to complete its own reimbursement process before returning customers' money.
The companies were still waiting for formal cancellation letters from the airline, which they had been told would be issued by Monday, September 7.
However, with some groups close to their intended departure dates, the operators said they had begun warning customers in advance. They said this would give travellers more time to alter onward plans and make other arrangements.
Both operators apologised for the disruption, describing the cancellation as an airline decision beyond their control. Staff will contact affected customers directly to organise the refunds.
Lucky Air cites charter-partner failure
In its letter to CAAT, Yunnan Lucky Air Co., Ltd apologised for the failed launch and blamed what it described as a serious breach of its commercial agreement by its charter partner.
Lucky Air said it had acted quickly after identifying the problem, repeatedly asking the partner to meet its obligations and considering alternative arrangements in an effort to retain the September 8 launch date.
It said the necessary conditions for starting flights had ultimately not been met. The airline did not name the charter partner it alleges breached the agreement.
Lucky Air acknowledged the support given to the route by CAAT and Udon Thani provincial authorities. It noted that Udon Thani Airport had obtained approval for international flights and had assisted with operations and marketing.
No timetable for return
The carrier said it had been active in the China-Thailand aviation market for many years and had intended the Kunming-Udon Thani link to become an important route for northeastern Thailand.
It said it would improve its operating capability, marketing and passenger-service systems, and would continue cooperating with Thai authorities. Lucky Air said the route would start once conditions allowed, but gave no indication of when that might be.
Related stories
Udon-Thani-airport-joins-Thailands-international-list
Kunming-Udon-Thani-direct-flights-start-8-September
Join the discussion? 
6 September 2026
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment