THAILAND – Thailand prepared for a heavy influx of visitors after aviation authorities approved 255 international carriers to operate during the 2025–26 winter season, a move that will push airport capacity to near breaking point.
Record season and airport capacity
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) allocated slots for the season running from 26 October 2025 to 28 March 2026, clearing a record number of airlines to fly into the kingdom. The approvals included both passenger and cargo operators and were intended to handle what authorities expect to be a strong recovery in international travel.
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok was slated to bear the largest share, with 127 airlines approved to operate there, including 21 cargo carriers. Phuket followed with 68 airlines, Chiang Mai with 30, Don Mueang with 17, U-Tapao with 11 and the smaller Samui Airport with two. The distribution underscored the pressure on Thailand’s major gateways as the country geared up for peak-season demand.
New long-haul services and charter links
The season brought a number of new long-haul and point-to-point services. United Airlines planned a daily Los Angeles–Hong Kong–Bangkok flight, while Norse Atlantic UK scheduled services from both London Gatwick and Manchester to Bangkok. Air France committed to a daily Paris–Phuket service and Etihad Airways added a four-times-weekly Abu Dhabi–Chiang Mai route. Thai AirAsia X announced new connections from Riyadh and Almaty into Don Mueang.
In addition to scheduled services, charter flights from less traditional markets were planned, with Tashkent and Minsk listed among origins for charter operations, reflecting Thailand’s renewed pull as a year-round leisure destination.
China remains the largest source market
Despite a recent decline in Chinese arrivals compared with pre-pandemic levels, carriers from China still accounted for the largest share of international connections, representing 31% of approved flights for the period. The Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) secured 731 charter flights from China to support that demand.
TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said, “These flights are part of our ‘Thailand Summer Blast’ campaign and are intended to increase arrivals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phuket and Rayong.” The campaign is a targeted effort to stimulate arrivals across multiple regions rather than concentrating traffic in just a few hubs.
Origins and outlook
After China, India accounted for 13% and Vietnam for 9% of the international connections. Other significant source markets included Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Cambodia.
Thai airports were described as facing one of their biggest operational challenges in recent years as they prepared for the concentrated seasonal surge. Authorities and industry stakeholders framed the approvals as both a logistical test and an economic opportunity: the winter season offered a chance for tourism to rebound after difficult years, but it would require careful coordination to ensure smooth arrivals and departures.
The allocations and route additions were reported by The Nation and reflected broader efforts to revive inbound tourism while balancing infrastructure limits and passenger experience.