Dozens of new airlines have been popping up across Asia to meet the industry's booming demand, but a string of deadly accidents has raised fresh concerns about safety - from pilot shortages to the quality of budget carriers.
The Indonesian pilot of the One-Two-Go Airlines plane that skidded off the runway and burst into flames on Thailand's resort island of Phuket, killing him and 88 others, was among scores who have fled their home countries in recent years for better paying jobs.
The former air force pilot had worked for two now-defunct airlines in Indonesia, including one owned by former ruler Suharto's son. But the country with Asia's worst aviation record still has 51 carriers, up from a dozen several years ago, illustrating how rapidly the industry is growing in the world's largest region.
"As disposable income increases and economies grow, more people within Asia are traveling," said Richard Pinkham of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation. "That is what is driving low-cost carrier growth."
Authorities say it's too early to say what caused Flight 269's crash during a violent storm. Many of the victims were foreigners, heading to one of Asia's top tourist destinations, which is now served by eight low-cost carriers like Firefly and Nok Air. Only big international airlines, like Thai Airways, flew there a few years ago.
Ballantyne urged travelers do their homework when choosing flights.
More than 50 low-frills airlines have cropped up, many offering rock-bottom prices, sometimes as low as $20 for a one-way trip, though full-service carriers still dominate the skies, accounting for more than 90 percent of the regional market.
One-Two-Go Airlines is tied to Bangkok-based Orient-Thai Airlines, which has had its own share of problems over the past few years. One plane nearly clipped a tower in Tokyo's city center while landing and others were issued warnings in South Korea for having outdated passenger safety manuals, he said.
The rash of plane crashes and mishaps in Asia this year include a China Airlines jetliner of Taiwan that exploded last month in Japan after its fuel tank ruptured. Everyone on board narrowly escaped. In June, a PMT Air plane slammed into a mountain while traveling to a popular Cambodian beach resort, killing 22.
Most incidents have occurred in Indonesia - with one plane from budget carrier Adam Air plunging from the sky at 10,000 meters and another from national carrier Garuda careening off the runway. Another jetliner snapped in half on landing. Together, more than 120 people have died.
But experts say the country is not indicative of the entire region.
"I'd look at Indonesia as a separate example," said Nicholas Ionides, regional managing editor, Flight International magazine. "The Indonesian market is growing at such a phenomenal rate and the government system is not able to keep up with the oversight of airlines."
It, like other countries, is also struggling to keep pilots from fleeing to higher-paying carriers elsewhere in the world - dozens have been lured to the Middle East and other parts of Asia by better salaries and benefits.
"There is a global pilot shortage, for sure," said Ionides. "As more and more aircraft are coming into the industry, and particular this region ... there is going to be an even greater shortfall of trained flight-deck personnel."
The Indonesian pilot of the One-Two-Go Airlines plane that skidded off the runway and burst into flames on Thailand's resort island of Phuket, killing him and 88 others, was among scores who have fled their home countries in recent years for better paying jobs.
The former air force pilot had worked for two now-defunct airlines in Indonesia, including one owned by former ruler Suharto's son. But the country with Asia's worst aviation record still has 51 carriers, up from a dozen several years ago, illustrating how rapidly the industry is growing in the world's largest region.
"As disposable income increases and economies grow, more people within Asia are traveling," said Richard Pinkham of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation. "That is what is driving low-cost carrier growth."
Authorities say it's too early to say what caused Flight 269's crash during a violent storm. Many of the victims were foreigners, heading to one of Asia's top tourist destinations, which is now served by eight low-cost carriers like Firefly and Nok Air. Only big international airlines, like Thai Airways, flew there a few years ago.
Ballantyne urged travelers do their homework when choosing flights.
More than 50 low-frills airlines have cropped up, many offering rock-bottom prices, sometimes as low as $20 for a one-way trip, though full-service carriers still dominate the skies, accounting for more than 90 percent of the regional market.
One-Two-Go Airlines is tied to Bangkok-based Orient-Thai Airlines, which has had its own share of problems over the past few years. One plane nearly clipped a tower in Tokyo's city center while landing and others were issued warnings in South Korea for having outdated passenger safety manuals, he said.
The rash of plane crashes and mishaps in Asia this year include a China Airlines jetliner of Taiwan that exploded last month in Japan after its fuel tank ruptured. Everyone on board narrowly escaped. In June, a PMT Air plane slammed into a mountain while traveling to a popular Cambodian beach resort, killing 22.
Most incidents have occurred in Indonesia - with one plane from budget carrier Adam Air plunging from the sky at 10,000 meters and another from national carrier Garuda careening off the runway. Another jetliner snapped in half on landing. Together, more than 120 people have died.
But experts say the country is not indicative of the entire region.
"I'd look at Indonesia as a separate example," said Nicholas Ionides, regional managing editor, Flight International magazine. "The Indonesian market is growing at such a phenomenal rate and the government system is not able to keep up with the oversight of airlines."
It, like other countries, is also struggling to keep pilots from fleeing to higher-paying carriers elsewhere in the world - dozens have been lured to the Middle East and other parts of Asia by better salaries and benefits.
"There is a global pilot shortage, for sure," said Ionides. "As more and more aircraft are coming into the industry, and particular this region ... there is going to be an even greater shortfall of trained flight-deck personnel."
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