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Tourism Authority of Thailand to encourage North American carriers to fly direct to Thailand
December 12th 2024
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will urge U.S. carriers to build direct route networks to Thailand after a recent favorable U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspection is expected to upgrade the safety status of the country from Category 2 to Category 1. Read More » TAT said the U.S.-Thailand market is projected to deliver one million air passenger visitors this year and increase to 1.1 million air travellers in 2025.The last direct U.S-Thailand flight, Thai Airways International’s Bangkok-Los Angeles rotation, was unprofitable and cancelled in 2015. No U.S. carrier has flown directly between the two countries. TAT deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, said Thai Airways would be a priority airline to bring long-haul visitors to the country. However, the flag carrier is still proceeding through rehabilitation and must fly its fleet on its most profitable routes a situation aggravated by a global aircraft shortage. The Bangkok Post reports TAT has held discussions with EVA Air and the U.S.’s Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, about the cooperation it could provide if the airlines started direct flights to Thailand. Siripakorn added the new U.S.-Thailand schedules could start in northern winter 2025 or in 2026, the Bangkok Post has reported.
