Thai Queen Suthida becomes first female Gripen pilot after solo flight

Queen Suthida of Thailand completed her first solo flight in a Saab JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet on 8 October 2026, becoming the country's first female pilot of the aircraft type. The 41-minute flight departed from Wing 7 airbase in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the Queen's husband, observed the takeoff and landing from the ground. After the aircraft touched down, the King presented the Queen with a bouquet of flowers and attached a Golden Gripen Order Patch to her uniform, formally recognising her achievement.

Queen Suthida's aviation experience spans 16 years of active flying. She first flew in May 2010 and has accumulated over 1,188 flight hours across multiple aircraft types, including the Cessna T-41D, CT-4E Airtrainer, Pilatus PC-9, Mooney M20M, Piper PA-34 Seneca, and Boeing 737 variants. The Queen regularly serves as co-pilot alongside King Maha Vajiralongkorn on official royal flights, having logged more than 450 hours on the Boeing 737-800 alone. Her transition to the Gripen followed the Royal Thai Air Force's standard pilot training syllabus, which included 45 academic and emergency-procedure subjects, 20 simulator sorties, and approximately 10 hours of dual-seat instruction in the JAS 39D variant before the solo single-seat flight.

The Gripen flown by Queen Suthida carried special tail artwork marking 15 years of the aircraft type's service in Thailand. The Royal Thai Air Force received its first Gripen in 2011 and currently operates 11 of the original 12 aircraft delivered, after losing one JAS 39C in a crash in January 2017. The fleet saw operational use during border clashes with Cambodia in July and December 2025. Thailand has ordered four newer Gripen E/F variants, with assembly of the first aircraft confirmed to have begun at Saab's facility in Sweden in May 2026, with deliveries expected by 2030.

Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha, commander of the Royal Thai Air Force, and the Wing 7 commander were present to observe the sortie. The Golden Gripen Order—a Swedish honorary association—formally accepted Queen Suthida as a full member following the flight. The milestone marks a significant achievement for both the Queen and the broader Gripen operator community.