The World Cup 2022 in Qatar scheduled to start next month has affected seat capacity to Thailand during the high season as airlines pivot to routes that serve football fans.
The number of flights to Thailand planned for October to March increased by 74.1% from the summer schedule this year, but remained 67.6% lower than the same period before Covid-19, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said major airlines from the Middle East have to devote their fleets to serve demand for the World Cup.
Qatar, the host country, will see busier air traffic, as will United Arab Emirates (UAE), an aviation hub in the region, with both having to prepare additional flights to ensure sufficient supply for the event, said Mr Siripakorn.
He said Qatar Airways didn't add flights to Thailand for the high season and the same could happen with Emirates, an official partner for the tournament.
According to the CAAT, the number of flights from Qatar to Thailand was slashed to 727 for October to March, down from 984 for the summer schedule, while flights from the UAE slightly decreased from 1,209 during the summer to 1,113 from October to March.
Airfares for direct flights from the Middle East to Thailand increased to 25,000-30,000 baht from an average of 15,000-20,000 baht before the pandemic.
"Long-haul markets from Europe will be affected," said Mr Siripakorn.
"They still have to rely on connecting flights in the Middle East as airlines in their home countries are facing a labour shortage and cannot accelerate expansion plans like those in the Gulf nations."
However, some direct routes from Europe have started to expand more steadily, such as France, which regained 80% of 2019 levels in terms of seat capacity.
The average price for direct flights between Paris and Bangkok surged to 40,000-50,000 baht from a pre-pandemic range of 30,000-40,000 baht.
He said the TAT has to work closely with airlines that have yet to resume flights to Bangkok, such as British Airways, which earlier said it would suspend the Bangkok route until next year.
Mr Siripakorn said for airlines that already confirmed their winter schedule, the agency has to convince them to extend services for the whole year, such as Air Canada, which the TAT is conducting a joint promotion with.
The agency would also like to persuade airlines in Asia such as Taiwan-based EVA Air to connect to more cities in Europe by flying directly to Bangkok first before connecting to Taipei.
"Direct flights are the key to tourism recovery. Those with purchasing power still want to travel," he said.
"But in the current environment, it's more difficult for them to find available seats that are convenient for them."
