Queen Suthida of Thailand has completed her first solo flight in a Swedish-built Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet, marking a remarkable milestone in her aviation career and highlighting the close defence relationship between Thailand and Sweden.
The flight took place on Thursday 8 October 2026 at the Royal Thai Air Force’s Wing 7 air base in Surat Thani, southern Thailand. King Maha Vajiralongkorn was present to congratulate the Queen following her achievement.
Queen Suthida piloted a single-seat Gripen C fighter aircraft after undergoing flight training that included simulator exercises and supervised flights in the two-seat version of the aircraft.
The Royal Household Bureau released photographs and video footage of the occasion, showing the Queen preparing for the flight, operating the aircraft and receiving congratulations afterwards.
The 41-minute flight marked the completion of an intensive training programme conducted according to Royal Thai Air Force standards. The Queen studied 45 subjects covering aircraft operations and emergency procedures, completed 20 simulator sessions and accumulated more than 10 hours of flight training in the two-seat Gripen D before flying the single-seat Gripen C.
Following her successful landing, King Maha Vajiralongkorn presented the Queen with a bouquet of flowers and attached a Golden Gripen Order Patch to her uniform. The insignia was awarded by the Gripen Order, an honorary aviation association in Sweden, which also accepted Queen Suthida as a full member. She is now recognised as Thailand’s first female Gripen pilot.
The Queen is already an experienced aviator. She began flying in 2010 and has accumulated more than 1,188 flight hours in several types of aircraft, including Boeing 737 passenger jets. She has also served as co-pilot alongside the King on royal flights.
Swedish aerospace and defence manufacturer Saab congratulated the Queen on the achievement, praising the skill and precision involved in the flight and expressing its appreciation for the longstanding defence partnership between Sweden and Thailand.
Thailand has operated Swedish-made Gripen C/D fighter jets for more than a decade. In 2025, the country signed an agreement to acquire three newer Gripen E aircraft and one two-seat Gripen F, strengthening its aviation cooperation with Sweden. The new aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2030.
Sources: Royal Household Bureau reports carried by Thai PBS, Thai Rath and AeroTime; Saab statement reported by Thai PBS World.
