Thailand recorded 777,456 flights averaging 2,558 a day, with China accounting for the largest share of flights linked to the country, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd (AEROTHAI) reported. The total includes international, domestic and overflight movements. AEROTHAI said traffic remained in line with its forecast for fiscal 2026, despite the Middle East conflict affecting travel decisions. China links dominate Of the 777,456 flights recorded, 385,991 were international services, 297,234 were domestic flights and 94,231 were overflights. China was linked to 84,033 flights to, from and over Thailand, the highest cumulative total among the countries listed by AEROTHAI. India followed with 43,131 flights, ahead of Malaysia on 39,641, Singapore on 38,224 and Vietnam on 32,425. Pichet Kunadhamraks, chairman of AEROTHAI, said the increase in Thailand-bound flights reflected the continuing recovery of the country's aviation sector and pointed to steady growth. He said aviation remained on a positive course despite external pressures, with Thailand continuing to draw international visitors. Chinese visitors had shown the strongest growth, he said. For fiscal 2026, running from October 2025 to September 2026, AEROTHAI forecasts 919,643 flights, or an average of 2,520 a day. This would be about 1.64% higher than in fiscal 2025. New Thailand-China route from September 3 AEROTHAI will introduce the L770 (NAN-SAGAG) route on September 3 in response to rising traffic involving China. The route has been developed through cooperation between Thailand, China and Laos, and is intended to provide a more direct link between Thailand and China. According to AEROTHAI, the new routing will reduce flying distances by between 27.5 and 35.2 nautical miles. It is also expected to improve air traffic management, lower airline operating and fuel costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The agency said L770 would create additional capacity as travel between Southeast Asia and China expands, while strengthening the regional route network. Picture courtesy of AEROTHAI Join the discussion? 9 August 2026
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