Thailand’s Queen Suthida completes first solo flight in Gripen fighter jet

Queen Suthida of Thailand made her first solo flight in a JAS 39 C Gripen fighter jet at Wing 7 in Surat Thani on Thursday (8 October 2026).

The flight followed a Gripen training programme which Thai media had earlier reported could make her the first reigning queen to fly a fighter aircraft.

After the Queen landed, King Maha Vajiralongkorn presented her with a bouquet and the Gripen Order Golden Patch.

Briefing and preparations on the day

According to the Bangkok Post, the Queen received the King at Wing 7, located in Phun Phin district of the southern province, at 10am. A briefing on the flight plan was then held.

The royal couple then went to the parking bay of the single-seat jet. There, the Queen carried out checks on the aircraft before taking it to Runway 22 for take-off.

Wing 7 is the principal operating base for the Royal Thai Air Force’s (RTAF) fleet of Gripen 39 C/D fighters, according to The Nation. The Gripen is a multi-role fighter built by Swedish aerospace company Saab.

A training programme since August

The Nation reported in August that the Queen had begun a privately undertaken Gripen flight-training programme at Wing 7, scheduled to run from 20 August to 4 September 2026.

The programme was expected to progress through the RTAF’s standard training stages towards a solo flight, with flight instructors and aviation specialists overseeing her training, the newspaper said.

According to Manager Online (MGR Online), the Queen stayed at Ratchaprapa Dam in Surat Thani during that period on a private visit, undergoing simulator-based Gripen training in line with RTAF procedures.

Before beginning the Gripen programme, she reportedly trained on the L-39 advanced jet trainer at the RTAF Flying Training School in Kamphaeng Saen district, Nakhon Pathom. Her preparations also included multiple simulator sessions, The Nation reported.

The Nation added that she had made several private visits to Wing 7 to study the aircraft’s technical systems and to speak with operational pilots.

More than 1,100 flying hours

The Queen first became a pilot on 13 May 2010, when she flew a Cessna T-41D of Fleet 604 at Wing 6 in Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Post.

The newspaper reported that she has since accumulated 1,188.48 flying hours across a range of aircraft. These include 315.33 hours in a Cessna T-41, 38.35 hours in a CT-4E Airtrainer and 105.59 hours in a Pilatus PC-9.

Her logged time also includes 98.40 hours in a Mooney M20M, 137.50 hours in a Piper PA-34 Seneca, 27.09 hours in a Boeing 737-400 and 453.11 hours in a Boeing 737-800.

The breakdown cited by the Bangkok Post also lists 10.13 hours in a twin-seat Saab JAS 39D Gripen.

Military and civilian qualifications

The Nation reported that the Queen has completed aviation courses with both the RTAF and the Royal Thai Army, and later undertook further flight training in Germany.

She completed the Army Fixed-Wing Aviation Cadet Course at the Army Aviation School on 16 January 2011, also flying a Cessna T-41, according to the newspaper.

Manager Online reported that she holds a European Union pilot’s licence issued by Germany’s civil aviation authority, as well as a Commercial Pilot Licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

Co-pilot on royal flights

According to the Bangkok Post, the Queen has served as co-pilot to the King on domestic and international flights undertaken for royal duties.

The newspaper noted that the royal couple landed a royal aircraft at Paro airport in Bhutan in April 2025. Paro is regarded as one of the most difficult airports in the world for pilots.

The Gripen in Thai service

The RTAF marked the 15th anniversary of its Gripen 39 C/D fighters and Saab 340 airborne early-warning aircraft entering service at Wing 7 in July 2026, The Nation reported.