Several Chinese Airlines, including Air China, China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines, have cancelled flights to Thailand for the months of December and January due to lower-than-expected bookings.
Suttipong Kongpool, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), said 10 Chinese airlines have notified the cancellation of flights to Thailand from next month to January 2024.
Originally, 10,939 flights were scheduled for December, but only 5,858 have been confirmed, marking a 46% reduction.
For January 2024, out of the initially planned 10,984 flights, the latest confirmation stands at 7,420 flights, resulting in a 32% drop.
Piyasawat Amranand, CEO of Thai Airways International’s Business Rehabilitation Plan, attributed the cancellations to China’s economic slowdown and policy to boost domestic tourism. He also said initiatives like granting free visas to Chinese nationals have not resulted in an influx of tourists.
Korakot Chatasingha, THAI’s chief commercial officer, said the free visa initiative did not significantly boost the Chinese market. Source: The nation
