Several international airlines from the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Japan are interested in expanding direct flight routes to Thailand, according to the Airports of Thailand (AoT).
Potential new routes are expected to begin during the upcoming summer schedule. Anake Teeraviwatchai, AoT’s senior executive vice president for corporate strategy and a member of Thailand’s Slot Coordination Committee, represented AoT at the 157th IATA Slot Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 18–20.
The conference focused on the global slot-allocation process for Summer 2026 and aimed to promote route network expansion across AoT’s six airports. Over 1,300 participants from more than 300 airports and 250 airlines worldwide attended this year’s event.
AoT engaged in discussions with major carriers including British Airways, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic UK, ITA Airways, Air New Zealand, Norse Atlantic Airlines, El Al Israel Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, T’way Air, and Jeju Air. These talks primarily addressed airport capacity and the potential for new route launches.
The negotiations indicated strong momentum toward boosting Thailand’s international connectivity, especially through new direct routes from North America and Europe. Several airlines are currently evaluating the feasibility of adding these routes in the next scheduling period.
Japanese carriers also showed interest in operating direct flights to Phuket and Chiang Mai, while Middle Eastern airlines expressed interest in establishing new routes to Hat Yai airport.