Over 250 airlines set for Thailand’s winter schedule as CAAT approves flight slots
Thailand’s winter 2025 flight season will see over 250 airlines operating as CAAT allocates flight slots and TAT secures 731 Chinese charter flights.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has confirmed that more than 255 airlines have been allocated flight slots for Thailand’s winter 2025 schedule, running from October 26, 2025 to March 28, 2026. The allocation, which covers all major airports nationwide, reflects renewed momentum in Thailand’s aviation and tourism sectors despite earlier signs of a slowdown in Chinese arrivals.
Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, CAAT Director, said the new winter flight schedule demonstrates strong international demand for travel to Thailand.
According to CAAT, Suvarnabhumi Airport tops the list with 127 airlines, including 21 cargo carriers, followed by Phuket Airport with 68 airlines (one cargo carrier), Chiang Mai Airport with 30, Don Mueang Airport with 17, U-Tapao Airport with 11, and Samui Airport with 2 airlines.
The top ten international routes to Thailand originate from China, India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Cambodia.
New entrants and expanded routes
Several new airlines have applied to operate flights to Thailand this winter. Among the highlights:
- United Airlines (USA) will launch daily flights on the Los Angeles–Hong Kong–Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) route.
- Norse Atlantic UK will operate five flights weekly from London Gatwick and a weekly service from Manchester to Suvarnabhumi.
- Thai AirAsia X will introduce two new routes from Riyadh–Don Mueang and Almaty–Don Mueang, each operating four round trips per week.
- Air France will operate daily Paris–Phuket flights, while Norse Atlantic Airways (Norway) will fly Stockholm–Phuket every Thursday and Oslo–Phuket every Tuesday.
- Etihad Airways will fly from Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai four times weekly — every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
- Qanot Sharq (Uzbekistan) will offer charter flights between Tashkent and U-Tapao every Sunday (January–February 2026).
- Belavia (Belarus) will also provide charter services between Minsk and U-Tapao every Monday and Friday.
China leads inbound flights, followed by India and Vietnam
Despite a slower rebound in Chinese tourism, Chinese airlines still account for the largest share of inbound flights to Thailand — 31% of total international flights — though the number of carriers has declined by 11 compared with the previous year. India ranks second with 13%, followed by Vietnam with 9%.
To boost tourist arrivals during the high season, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has secured 731 charter flights from China, underscoring efforts to revive one of Thailand’s most important source markets.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said that during this high season, more than 80 new international routes have been launched, connecting both major and secondary cities abroad to destinations across Thailand.
She added that TAT has also implemented the “Thailand Summer Blast” campaign to support charter flight operations, particularly from China to Thailand, with a total of 731 charter flights scheduled for the season.
These flights cover key Thai destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phuket, and Rayong (U-Tapao). The charter services include:
- Xi’an–Bangkok: 52 flights
- Xining–Bangkok: 16 flights
- Chengdu–Bangkok: 34 flights
- Chengdu–Chiang Mai: 29 flights
- Hefei–Bangkok: 62 flights
- Huangshan–Bangkok: 30 flights
- Jinan–Bangkok: 93 flights
- Guiyang–Chiang Mai: 7 flights
- Wuxi–Bangkok: 103 flights
- Changzhou–Bangkok: 84 flights
- Datong–Bangkok: 40 flights
- Macau–Bangkok: 61 flights
