Easing of travel controls will make Thai skies busy again: AeroThai
Flights in and out of Thailand should gradually rise and arrive at pre-pandemic levels by the fourth quarter of this year, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AeroThai) said on Sunday.
Nopasit Chakphitak, AeroThai president, said the increase in flights should start this month, thanks to the government’s move to ease Covid-related restrictions and entry measures on July 1.
He said July should see 1,437 flights taking off and landing daily, compared to 1,374 in June. He added that the daily flights should rise to 1,480 during the July 13-17 and July 28-31 long holidays.
“We expect to see good signs of recovery in July and August,” he said.
However, he said there will be more domestic flights than international ones because each country’s Covid-19 situation and travel restrictions are different.
“If the government’s plan to reopen the country goes smoothly, then Thailand should see 430,000 flights this year, up 41 per cent compared to last year,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand sees three scenarios in the recovery of the country’s aviation industry:
• If the Covid-19 situation improves and vaccines are widely distributed, the number of local and international passengers should reach 68.26 million and 30.68 million, respectively.
• If Asian countries like China, India, South Korea and Japan continue maintaining travel restrictions, the number of domestic and international passengers this year will come in at 58.95 million and 22.50 million, respectively.
• If the Covid-19 pandemic continues, but some potential markets show signs of recovery, then the number of domestic and international passengers this year will come in at 58.95 million and 15.53 million, respectively.
