A total of six airlines, led by THAI, BA, AAV, and NOK, have proposed additional flight schedules on 11-12 and 15-16 April 2024, to support the rise in travel demand for the upcoming Songkran Festival Holidays.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) stated that it had already cooperated with the six airlines and planned for the proposal for the additional flight schedules, which will add 104 flights and 17,874 seats to the existing capacity during the period.
These additional tickets for extra flights during the holiday were expected to be distributed on 12 March 2024 with a 20% discount, in accordance with a short-term measure from the Ministry of Transport to manage the overpriced flight tickets during holiday season.
The six airlines included Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (SET: THAI), Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited (SET: BA), Asia Aviation Public Company Limited (SET: AAV), Thai Vietjet, Thai Lion Air, and Nok Airlines Public Company Limited (SET: NOK).
Meanwhile, the CAAT recommended passengers to plan out their travel and buy flight tickets directly through airlines, as the demand for travel would be higher than usual, causing the ticket price to also rise. The purchase of tickets online with an online travel agency (OTA) during an urgent period should especially be carefully considered.
In addition to Thailand’s most notable festival in April, UNESCO recently inscribed Songkran Festival or Thai New Year Festival on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.
The inscription would promote the tradition and its value to be recognized internationally, manifest the local wisdom and cultural diversity in various regions of Thailand, and encourage the community to pass on such culture to the next generation. This could give Thai tourism during the Songkran festival another boost in revenue.
