US urged to launch direct Thai flights

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to encourage US airlines to undertake the first-ever direct flights to Thailand, as Thai carriers seem unlikely to add the routes, following regulators reopening the flights from next year.
According to the Transport Ministry, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave a favourable evaluation of Thailand’s aviation safety standards following its inspection, and is expected to upgrade the status of the country from Category 2 to Category 1, enabling airlines to expand operations to the US.
Thai Airways halted direct flights from Bangkok to Los Angeles in 2015, the same year the country was downgraded by the FAA, because the route was unprofitable.
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT’s deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said Thai Airways would be a priority airline to bring long-haul visitors to the country.
However, the airline remains in the rehabilitation process and must utilise its aircraft on the most profitable routes amid a global aircraft shortage.
Resuming long-haul flights that take 17-18 hours results in a lower turnover rate for aircraft usage, meaning it is an unlikely option for an airline that needs to increase liquidity, he said.
The US market has high potential and is projected to reach 1 million visitors this year, according to the TAT.
Mr Siripakorn said the agency already talked to international airlines about including direct flights to Thailand in their schedules, which could happen by next winter in 2025 or 2026.
US airlines have never offered direct services between the two countries.
For direct flights from North America Air Canada flies from Vancouver to Bangkok, offering seven flights per week.
He said TAT also talked to Taiwan’s EVA Air and two US carriers, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, about cooperation TAT could provide if airlines started direct flights to Thailand.
EVA Air already offers direct flights from London and Vienna to Bangkok, before flying to its home base in Taipei.
If the airline adopts the same model for some of its long-haul flights to the US, it would gain more tourists from the US who want to visit Thailand, particularly families who prefer less complicated travel, said Mr Siripakorn.
He said the US market next year is projected to grow to more than 1.1 million visitors.
The US market can be a key driver as each traveller spends 15 days in Thailand on average, which is equal to three short-haul tourists, said Mr Siripakorn.
The agency is aggressively pursuing the US market, opening a new TAT office in Chicago to attract travellers from the Midwest, particularly from the “affluent modern agricultural industry”, as well as some parts of Canada.