Civil aviation authority to discuss resumption of flights with airlines next week

By THE NATION

 

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has invited 14 airlines and charter jet operators registered in Thailand to discuss their readiness to restart international flights.

 

 

The meeting will be held on Tuesday (June 16).

 

Before allowing resumption of services, the CAAT needs to know the destinations they want to fly to and whether their chosen destinations allow flights, said Chula Sukmanop, the CAAT director-general.

 

He also said that permission to allow international flights from July 1 would depend on the recommendation of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and the Public Health Ministry. The CAAT has banned all international flights, except in special cases, until June 30.

 

A CAAT report specified that the agency would allow flights to safe destinations or destinations needing restart of services. Also, the CAAT would permit only some groups of people to travel, such as business people.

 

According to statistics, international flight passengers in May totalled 36,058, down 18.6 per cent from April. Domestic passengers totalled 422,359 in May, up 3.6 times over April, due to the government’s easing of the ban on domestic flights.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30389585

 

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NOT likely going to open for several more months...don't buy another airline ticket because it will be cancelled.

On 6/14/2020 at 6:52 AM, rooster59 said:

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has invited 14 airlines and charter jet operators registered in Thailand to discuss their readiness to restart international flights.

really ?

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

international flight passengers in May totalled 36,058, down 18.6 per cent from April. Domestic passengers totalled 422,359 in May, up 3.6 times over April,

These statistics are meaningless.

The only people arriving on International flights were Thais who would normally be working/in education overseas. Rediculous to compare them with normal tourist numbers.

(The statistics were meaningless in April as well.)

TG is shuttered until ( the earliest ) 1 August.

 

I doubt that many airlines will restart service until such time as the entry requirements are very clearly defined.

 

It is not clear to me how much demand there is for flights to Thailand?

Ok. Let's see what happens. Make Beijing first.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-beijing/beijing-district-in-wartime-emergency-after-virus-cluster-at-major-food-market-idUSKBN23K03V

5 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

TG is shuttered until ( the earliest ) 1 August.

 

I doubt that many airlines will restart service until such time as the entry requirements are very clearly defined.

 

It is not clear to me how much demand there is for flights to Thailand?

 

"I doubt that many airlines will restart service until such time as the entry requirements are very clearly defined."

 

Very key point, will the discussions on the 16th look at this point, certainly hope so because it's a major block to mass numbers entering especially farang caught outside and want to see their families in Thailand also a very key and frustrating point. 

 

First PR holders were mentioned as having priority to re-enter with minimal complications, then work permit holders.

 

PR holders now never mentioned in media items, work-permit holders also seem to have been mostly forgotten.

 

Plus difficult to get clear understanding of the entry documents needed, and then the difficulty of getting the documents (for me, for fit to fly document, need to take multiple public transports to get to the Thai embassy in Sydney in a wheel chair, or taxi AUD$80 - 90 to get there and $80 - 90 back. Then the health Insurance, some folks thought they had found a suitable policy then discovered the insurance company is not on the allowed list, but can't find a list of accepted companies.

 

Wow. 

 

At one point I called the Aust. Embassy in Sydney and in Canberra trying to get answers about priority for PR holders and about acceptable health policies, total waste of time. 

 

I called Immigration in Chiang Mai to ask if, because of my mobility problems, any chance of applying to do 14 days at home in CM in my own bedroom with son leaving meals on a small table outside my b'room door. They laughed. My son called them again, waste of a phone call. 

 

Edited June 14, 20206 yr by scorecard

Quote

 

 

So 14 Chinese airline reps will discuss which airline will service which province in China

7 hours ago, mike787 said:

NOT likely going to open for several more months...don't buy another airline ticket because it will be cancelled.

In or OUT? 

Etihad has already opened a schedule for Bangkok to Abu Dhabi in July.. 

I'm booking a flight in the next week or two, with Etihad, FROM Bangkok to Toronto, via Abu Dhabi.. but worried if it will get cancelled. ????????

 

Gotta be out of the country by July 31st(on visa amnesty now)

17 minutes ago, ColtenSloan said:

In or OUT? 

Etihad has already opened a schedule for Bangkok to Abu Dhabi in July.. 

I'm booking a flight in the next week or two, with Etihad, FROM Bangkok to Toronto, via Abu Dhabi.. but worried if it will get cancelled. ????????

 

Gotta be out of the country by July 31st(on visa amnesty now)

Flights out of Thailand are available. Regular flights by Eva Air, LH and Qatar Airways to name just a few.

Edited June 14, 20206 yr by dabhand

9oks like Beijing will be out of the running with a new wave pushing through.

34 minutes ago, ColtenSloan said:

In or OUT? 

Etihad has already opened a schedule for Bangkok to Abu Dhabi in July.. 

I'm booking a flight in the next week or two, with Etihad, FROM Bangkok to Toronto, via Abu Dhabi.. but worried if it will get cancelled. ????????

 

Gotta be out of the country by July 31st(on visa amnesty now)

Pretty sure if the tourists are not allowed in, you don't need to be out on July 31st.

I think that this amnesty will be prolonged, at least until September.

>Before allowing resumption of services, the CAAT needs to know the destinations they want to fly

 

oh really?

And before Covid jet operators could go anywhere they wanted without CAAT having a clue?!

1 hour ago, rasmus5150 said:

Pretty sure if the tourists are not allowed in, you don't need to be out on July 31st.

I think that this amnesty will be prolonged, at least until September.

Agreed the threat comes from outside the country and the government wont wish to have to go through the 5000 bt handout all over again, that hurt.

9 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

TG is shuttered until ( the earliest ) 1 August.

 

I doubt that many airlines will restart service until such time as the entry requirements are very clearly defined.

 

It is not clear to me how much demand there is for flights to Thailand?

All the family members who are stuck outside Thailand, retirees, Elite members?

Thankfully it is still what was the LOW season, so if Thailand starts to get some

international tourists from September or October, there is a chance that

the High Season may help start the tourism recovery, and TAT can brag

of the huge numbers again.  

Geezer

14 hours ago, Letseng said:

All the family members who are stuck outside Thailand, retirees, Elite members?

 

Is that 10, 100, 1000, 10,000?

 

All flying from the same place? Transiting which countries and airports? Are those open?

 

My guess: that's not a lot of demand. Certainly not enough to warrant daily service.

 

Still a lot of Thais to be repatriated.

 

And it will take weeks/months for airlines to restart services. And I would expect fares to be quite pricey, like full Y.