More than 200 Thais looking to spend the Songkran holiday in Hokkaido never got off the ground on Saturday after their flight failed to obtain clearance from Japan.
Their Asian Air chartered flight was one of three Thai flights that have been cancelled because they lacked the necessary approvals from Japan.
NokScoot had to cancel a Bangkok-Tokyo flight on Saturday, while Asian Air also has cancelled a flight from Bangkok to Hokkaido scheduled for April 15.
Thairath Online reported that 233 passengers who bought 55,000-baht Asian Air tour packages from a company whose name was not disclosed were unable to leave Don Mueang Airport at 1.40am on Saturday as scheduled.
They were told that Flight DM464 from Bangkok to Sapporo had not been approved by Japanese authorities.
David Sri-udomchai, chairman of Asian Air, came to talk with the passengers and agreed to repay them in full plus compensation within seven days.
Somchai Phiphutthawat, director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), later explained that Asian Air had failed to submit its safety inspection report in time.
"The document arrived in Japan after working hours of 5pm [on Friday] so Japan could not approve the flight in time," he told Krungthep Turakit.
Piya Yodmanee, chief executive officer of NokScoot, said the airline would return money to the 412 passengers affected by its cancellation.
The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau failed to approve the flights as part of an ongoing clampdown on air safety, after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) raised concerns about standards at the Thai Department of Civil Aviation.
The DCA is attempting to upgrade staffing levels and inspection procedures to meet an ICAO ultimatum, after being starved of funds for years because previous governments failed to act.
Mr Somchai said Japanese aviation authorities had not banned the three flights, adding that the flight requests simply had not been completed in time.
“The JCAB has agreed to allow charter flights from Thai-registered airlines to enter the country, but it requires the airlines to submit details of the flights for consideration. The flights in question are under the consideration process,” he said.
The airlines are now working with tour agencies to come up with replacement trips to Japan between April 23 and 27.