About 240 flights from China to Thailand are expected during the Chinese New Year holiday from Jan 19-25, or an average of 34 per day, boosting the tourism sector, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd (Aerothai).
Authorities expect 18 arriving and departing flights according to the normal flight schedule, plus 16 additional flights (excluding cargo), Aerothai president Nopasit Chakpitak said on Friday.
During the seven-day period, Suvarnabhumi airport is expected to handle 75 flights or 11 a day, Don Mueang airport 52, Phuket airport 78 and Chiang Mai airport 35 flights, he said.
In January this year, Aerothai forecasts that 1,160 flights from China or 37 a day will enter the kingdom. That is down by 91% from 12,209 or 394 per day in January 2019, said Mr Nopasit.
He forecast that there would be 36,896 flights from China this year, more than twice as many as last year. The number of flights would reach the pre-pandemic level next year, he added.
Earlier, Suvarnabhumi airport director Kittipong Kittikachorn said the airport expected to see over 1.8 million passengers arriving between Jan 16 and 28, or an average of 138,461 daily.
Of that figure, 1.3 million would be international tourists, he said.
That would represent a total of 10,965 arriving and departing flights during the time period or an average of 843 per day, with 7,635 international and 3,330 domestic flights, said Mr Kittipong.
