Flights to/from Thailand back at pre-Covid level this year: CAAT
Aviation authorities expect the number of flights to and from Thailand to recover to pre-Covid levels late this year after entry restrictions were lifted on Sunday.
The Civil of Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) reports that is seeing more international flights following the cancellation of the Test & Go scheme yesterday.
Thailand is currently recording about 44,500 flights per month – 33,500 domestic flights and 11,000 international flights.
CAAT estimates that this total will rise to 83,500 flights late this year, with 53,000 domestic and 30,000 international flights. The latter figure is close to the 2020 pre-Covid level of international flights landing and taking off in Thailand, it added.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had monitored the lifting of Test & Go restrictions on Sunday and thanked government agencies for a smooth transition, government spokeswoman Traisulee Taisaranakul said.
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob informed Prayut that there were no serious problems, apart from some congestion at Thailand Pass counters during the peak time for flight arrivals. Airports responded by deploying additional staff at the counters and ensuring travellers maintained social distancing in queues.
Only a few passengers had to be transported from the airport to quarantine at their hotels on Sunday, mainly because they were unvaccinated, the spokeswoman said.
Although Prayut boasted that Thailand has fully reopened, the Thailand Pass system remains intact and requires foreign travellers to register before arrival. They need to show either proof of full Covid-19 vaccination or a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours. Those failing to meet these criteria face five days in hotel quarantine with an RT-PCR test on day 4 or 5.
On Sunday, 96 flights landed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, bringing in 16,868 passengers. Nearly all had been fully vaccinated or showed proof of a negative RT-PCR test, the spokeswoman said. Only 11 were required to undergo hotel quarantine.
Meanwhile, Phuket Airport saw 27 flights carrying 4,400 arrivals, only 18 of whom had to be quarantined at their hotels.
