(live-PR.com) - JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - A jetliner skids off a runway during a violent storm in Thailand. Another mysteriously plunges into the ocean from 35,000 feet (10,000 meters) in Indonesia. A third erupts into a giant fireball on the tarmac after landing in Japan.
Demand for cheap air travel has skyrocketed in the world's fastest-growing region, giving rise to hundreds of airlines hungry for passengers from a newly emerging middle class. But a string of deadly accidents has raised concerns about safety _ from pilot shortages to the quality of budget airlines.
The Indonesian pilot of the One-Two-Go Airlines plane that crashed on Thailand's resort island of Phuket _ one of 89 people who died Sunday _ was among scores who have fled their home countries in recent years for better paying jobs.
The former air force pilot worked for two now-defunct airlines in Indonesia, including one owned by former dictator Suharto's son. But Indonesia, the country with Asia's worst aviation record, still has 51 carriers, up from a dozen several years ago.
«As disposable income increases and economies grow, more people within Asia are traveling. That is what is driving low-cost carrier growth,» Richard Pinkham of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation said of the more than 50 low-frills airlines that have cropped up in the region in recent years.
Authorities say it's too early to say what caused One-Two-Go Flight OG269 to crash-land. But one aviation expert, citing Thai officials, said the pilot had reportedly requested to circle around again because he could not see the runway, but the plane was already too low.
«It was hit by wind shear or strong winds and he didn't have time to react,» said Tom Ballantyne, chief corespondent for Orient Aviation magazine, adding that the bigger question was whether the airport should have been allowing planes to land in the stormy weather.
Many victims were foreigners heading to one of Asia's top tourist destinations, which is served by eight low-cost carriers like Firefly and Nok Air. Only big international airlines, like Thai Airways, flew there a few years ago.
A string of new budget carriers have emerged across the region over the past several years. Many offer rock-bottom prices, sometimes as low as US$20 (¤14.5) for a one-way trip within Asia, excluding taxes. But full-service carriers still dominate the skies, accounting for 90 percent of the regional market.
Ballantyne said it is important for travelers to do their homework when choosing flights, instead of just bargain-hunting.
«Look for accidents or safety issues,» he said. He also recommended airlines connected to strong parent companies _ such as Jetstar, operated by Australia's Qantas Airways, or Tiger Airways, which is 49 percent owned by Singapore Airlines.
«Look at the sort of planes the airline is operating. Are they new or old? What is the background of the airline
One-Two-Go Airlines is tied to Thailand's 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.
Asia has been hit by a rash of plane crashes and mishaps in 2007, including a China Airlines jetliner that exploded in Japan after its fuel tank ruptured. Everyone on board narrowly escaped. 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 budget carrier Adam Air plunging from the sky at 10,000 meters (35,000 feet) and national carrier Garuda careening off the runway. Another jetliner snapped in half on landing. Together, more than 120 people have died.

Indonesia, struggling to clean up its image after the European Union slapped a ban on all of its airlines, says it is taking steps to improve aviation standards, from providing better training of personnel to lengthening emergency runoffs on runways.
It joins other nations in losing pilots to higher-paying carriers elsewhere in the world _ dozens have been lured to the Middle East and other parts of Asia. The trend, in part the result of extraordinary air traffic growth in China and India, also worries aviation experts.
«There is a global pilot shortage, for sure,» said Nicholas Ionides, the regional managing editor of Flight International magazine. «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.
Associated Press writers Robin McDowell in Jakarta and Vijay Joshi in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.