23 AirAsia passengers left stranded on bus, flight returns before takeoff

An AirAsia Thailand domestic flight was forced to return to the gate after it was discovered that 23 passengers were left stranded on an airport transfer bus while the plane was taxiing for takeoff.

The incident occurred on flight FD3116 from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport to Hat Yai on January 17. According to a passenger's detailed Facebook post shared on January 28, an elderly woman onboard alerted cabin crew just as the aircraft began moving, saying her friend who had checked in was missing.

Crew members, unaware passengers were missing, contacted the missing individuals and learned they were "still on the shuttle bus" because the bus doors were not opened for them to disembark.

The aircraft returned to the gate at around 7.45am, allowing the 23 stranded passengers to board. The flight, carrying 136 passengers, was delayed by about 36 minutes.

The posting passenger questioned the boarding process's rigor, writing: "No one was counting the boarding passengers, even at departure time." She thanked the elderly woman for speaking up, preventing the others from being stranded.

AirAsia issued a statement on January 28 acknowledging a coordination and communication failure among staff. The airline said it has launched an investigation, taken action according to policy, and pledged to implement stricter supervision to prevent a recurrence.