Thailand extends international flight ban to April 18

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand extended its temporary ban on all international flights to Thailand to April 18 as the Thai government attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The ban initially was planned for three days, spanning from April 4 to April 6.

Under the restrictions, no passenger flights are allowed to land in Thailand, with the exception of cargo flights, emergency landings, medical flights, repatriation flights, state aircraft and technical landings.

Flag carrier Thai Airways stopped all passenger flights on April 1, with cargo operations still operating on some routes. Seven other Thai airlines, mainly LCCs, have asked the government for THB16 billion ($490 million) in financial aid.

Photo credit: Thai Airways

Chen Chuanren

Chen Chuanren is the Southeast Asia and China Editor for the Aviation Week Network’s (AWN) Air Transport World (ATW) and the Asia-Pacific Defense Correspondent for AWN, joining the team in 2017.