International flights to Thailand may not resume until September, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CCAT) Director, Chula Sukmanop.
His announcement follows a meeting with several airline executives where none of them expressed interest in resuming international flights in July when the flight ban to Thailand is due to end.
According to Mr. Sukmanop, airlines are hesitant to resume international services due to ongoing uncertainty over the government’s policy for international travelers.
He also mentioned caution over demand as a reason for airlines not rushing to resume international flights. The CAAT Director said:
“I believe international flights will resume this September. All of the airlines could not assess the demand for air travel. They have to wait and see the situation by the end of this month.”
His statement follows an earlier announcement that Thailand may yet extend the international flight ban beyond July 1st due to the amount of planning involved for resuming international air travel.
At present, only essential air travel is permitted into Thailand, including repatriation flights to bring Thai citizens home, diplomatic flights, and cargo flights.
Only selected people will have permission to enter the country when the government decides to reopen Thai airspace for international flights.
Most likely, business people and medical tourists from selected countries within a planned “travel bubble” will have permission to enter Thailand at first.
Source: Khaosod
