Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Suthipong Kongpool, along with Thai government officials and airline officials, discussed the topic of increasing the number of flights between Thailand and India with Mr. Asangba Chuba Ao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation of India, along with representatives of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India, the Indian Embassy, and Indian airlines.
The increase will be done in two stages of 7,000 seats each time. Thailand has agreed to open four new extra points of call or destinations for Indian carriers. These comprise Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Surat Thani, and Udon Thani.
The outcome of this negotiation will allow airlines from both sides to fly with more seats and will further boost their capacity and frequency, along with expanding opportunities to fly to secondary cities.
India is one of Thailand’s most important visitor markets. Last year, the number of Indian travelers totaled 1.62 million, making it the fourth-largest market. Revenue generated from spending by Indian travelers amounted to over 63 billion baht in 2023. This year, as of 19 February, India ranked fifth with 262,986 arrivals, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand data. This will also help promote more travel to main and secondary cities, which promotes travel and tourism in both countries. (PRD)
