Chiang Mai Airport brings Songkran atmosphere to arriving travellers

Chiang Mai Airport is gearing up for a busy Songkran holiday period with extra flights, tighter security and a Lanna-themed welcome for travellers arriving in the northern city.

On April 10, the airport launched a Songkran welcome campaign to celebrate the Thai New Year, featuring local cultural performances and festive decorations inside the passenger terminal. Among the highlights was a sabad chai drum performance, aimed at giving passengers and tourists a warm first impression of Chiang Mai’s traditional Songkran atmosphere from the moment they arrive.

Karun Thanakuljeerapat, director of Chiang Mai Airport, said the airport expects average traffic of 177 flights a day and around 22,104 passengers a day during the Songkran travel period from April 10-19, 2026. That would mark a drop of about 9% from the same period last year.

Even so, airlines have added 39 special flights on top of normal scheduled services to meet holiday demand. These include 38 domestic flights and one international flight on the Chiang Mai-Hualien route in Taiwan.

The airport said the figures should also be seen in the context of the current summer flight schedule, under which airlines routinely adjust services to match travel demand at different times of year. While overall passenger numbers may be slightly lower, main routes are continuing to operate normally and the airport says capacity remains sufficient.

Security has also been tightened for the festival period, with Chiang Mai Airport integrating support from security agencies to maintain order both inside the terminal and in surrounding areas. The aim, officials said, is to strengthen confidence among passengers during one of the year’s busiest travel windows.

At the same time, the airport is stepping up health protection measures in response to PM2.5 concerns. It has installed double-door air chambers to reduce dust entering from outside, alongside air purifiers and indoor air-quality monitoring systems, in an effort to keep terminal areas as clean-air zones.

Passengers have also been advised to allow extra travel time between April 12 and 15, when Songkran activities around Chiang Mai’s moat are expected to cause heavier traffic around the airport. Officials urged travellers to follow safety measures and comply strictly with rules on carrying liquids onto aircraft in order to avoid delays.