Aviation authority allows Nok Air to fly from U-Tapao Airport until Aug 18
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has allowed Nok Air Plc to operate five flight routes from U-Tapao Airport in Rayong province until August 18 to facilitate travel of passengers who wish to leave the province, the airline CEO, Wutthiphum Jurangkool, said on Thursday.
The CAAT announcement came after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration had included Rayong in the "dark-red" zone and limited travel to and from the province to curb the Covid-19 outbreak from August 5 onwards.
“Nok Air will fly passengers on four routes to and from U-Tapao, namely Chiang Mai, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani,” he said.
“The fifth route from Phuket to U-Tapao will be one way only to comply with the announcement of Phuket’s communicable disease committee.
"Nok will fly people from Phuket to U-Tapao Airport and will return to Phuket Airport with no passengers on board to pick up more travellers,” he said.
Last week, the Phuket governor had issued an order barring entry into the province for vehicles from outside. The ban from August 3 to 16 is a part of Covid-19 preventive measures. Exceptions will be made for medical, emergency and product transporting vehicles.
Wutthiphum added that the company is proposing to related agencies to allow flights from U-Tapao to other destinations, including Chiang Rai, Surat Thani and Trang provinces, while insisting that the company is willing to comply with any disease control measures announced by destination provinces.
The CEO dismissed as false the rumours that Nok Air has stopped flying and paying staff salaries from August 3 and will resume services again in September.
“Nok Air still operates flights from U-Tapao Airport and has paid staff salaries since July 24 until now,” he added.