By Subhabhong Rarueysong

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) has lowered its estimates of total domestic and international air travel in 2021 to 323,093 flights, a 38% reduction from its 518,790 flights estimate at the start of the year.

 

Aerothai vice-president Thinnakorn Chuwong said the rising number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand and overseas has caused domestic and international travel to decline, while the government’s measures, urging people to refrain from inter-provincial travel, will further decrease demand for domestic flights.

 

He said, however, that Aerothai estimates that the impact of the current wave of COVID-19 infections will last through May and recovery could start slowly from June onwards, coinciding with the period when the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand will ease restrictions on air travel.

 

Mr. Thinnakorn added that the government’s “Phuket Sandbox” campaign will start in July, which could help boost air travel from July to August to around 1,095 flights per day, the same level as December last year, right before the start of the second wave.

 

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5 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said, however, that Aerothai estimates that the impact of the current wave of COVID-19 infections will last through May and recovery could start slowly from June onwards, coinciding with the period when the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand will ease restrictions on air travel.

It will last a darn sight longer than than if the vaccines don't arrive and they don't sort their vaccine programs out. Currently I would fear it will be June 2022 , not in 2 months time

As the sane bit of the world gets fully vaccinated you would have thought the the insane bit would have at last got a little bit savvy but alas ???? 

TAT and the PM will spin this in no time to say there was an increase in flights and the gap has been narrowed in losses thanks to the we travel together scheme and government assistance.

Aerothai vice-president Thinnakorn Chuwong said the rising number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand and overseas has caused domestic and international travel to decline, while the government’s measures, urging people to refrain from inter-provincial travel, will further decrease demand for domestic flights.

 

No Sir, 7/10/14 day quarantines have caused international travel to decline.

Still around 1,000 flights a day.

Not sure how this can be true as even recently without restrictions at least 50% of the flights I saw at airports seemed to be showing as "canceled".  

It is now very apparent that Thailand has dropped the ball big time on this Covid business and worse, handled it badly and like armatures when it came around with full force, and yes, lives and the economy are and will continue to be ruined and the country will plunged into very bad times to come, the thing is, how strong and lucid the leadership are to lead Thailand out of this mess...

13 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Still around 1,000 flights a day.

Not sure how this can be true as even recently without restrictions at least 50% of the flights I saw at airports seemed to be showing as "canceled".  

 

I guess they are including freight and submarine parts...

 

37 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

TAT and the PM will spin this in no time to say there was an increase in flights and the gap has been narrowed in losses thanks to the we travel together scheme and government assistance.

Yes, We Travel Together scheme or the Thai Domestic Tourism that posters such as @sandyf told us would plug the gap left by foreign tourism. ????

we estimate 323.000 flights a day which 75% are cancelled and of resting 25% will be 75 % cargo flights.. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

BANGKOK (NNT) - Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) has lowered its estimates of total domestic and international air travel in 2021 to 323,093 flights, a 38% reduction from its 518,790 flights estimate at the start of the year.

More like a 78 or 88% reduction, but who's counting.

Those flight numbers would include over flights through Thai airspace, I would think, not just flights landing in Thailand.

 

As the name implies, Aerothai, is responsible for all Thai airspace and the flights therein

 

 

1 minute ago, ozfarang said:

Those flight numbers would include over flights through Thai airspace, I would think, not just flights landing in Thailand.

 

As the name implies, Aerothai, is responsible for all Thai airspace and the flights therein

 

 

How many rocket launches going to the moon is what the Thai people need to know.

Oooh! Another Mystic Meg with more fabulous predictions.

 

Truly the hub of clairvoyants

I love it when so called experience experts come out with the bleedin obvious.

The headline is totally wrong (as is often the case on Thaivisa these days).

 

Tne 38% reduction is on the January flight number estimate, not based on reality.

 

It still amazes me how they estimate to an exact figure: 323,093 flights, implying that the figure is produced by some kid with a calculator. Why not say between 300,000 and 350,000?

 

Still seems high to me, though it may include cargo flights.

 

Keep hearing about the Phuket hub opening in July 

Let's wait and see 

Would have thought more emphasis on getting people vaccinated first would be the priority 

A lot of Airlines are surviving by becoming freight flights, and it may be the way of the future.

Maybe some combo flights of Cargo and passengers will make or break some of the airlines in the next

few years.  I just hope that there will be some flights from Canada to Thailand after next year.

Geezer

I think a 38% reduction in flights may even be overly optimistic, but one thing you can’t deny is, Thai people within the travel industry in positions of power sure do know how to dream big.

11 hours ago, shackleton said:

Keep hearing about the Phuket hub opening in July 

Let's wait and see 

Would have thought more emphasis on getting people vaccinated first would be the priority 

Oh, you mean the ‘sandbox’? The one “which could help boost air travel from July to August to around 1,095 flights per day, the same level as December last year, right before the start of the second wave.” How does anyone compare expected air travel volume for July with last December? Especially in this covid chaos. The dynamic in July will be totally different, what with restrictions and all or even no restrictions, it won’t be the same, so I think it’s ludicrous for them to make that claim. 

Just for grins, I pulled up a flight tracker as I read this.  4, count 'em 4, total aircraft over BKK at the moment.  None over the rest of LOS.

I'll be curious to see how it looks in the Thai daytime, as I suspect there's a flight curfew?

 

https://globe.adsbexchange.com

 

 

Oh good at least the Phuket sandbox is going ahead in July I was starting to worry that all this bothersome covid nonsense might delay it somewhat. Hoorah ????