Qatar Airways will fly 4 times weekly to Phuket starting July 1
Qatar Airways is going all-in on the Phuket sandbox plan to reopen the tourist island to international travellers on July 1. The airline has confirmed that they will run flights 4 times per week between the Qatari capital city of Doha and Phuket. This new route is in addition to the airline’s current 12 flights a week to Bangkok.
The flights will be run using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a large plane capable of carrying a total of 254 passengers to Phuket, 232 in Economy Class and 22 in Business Class. The airline said in a press release yesterday that they believe the Bangkok and Phuket routes will connect the Middle East, Europe and the United States to Thailand.
The flights will leave Doha at 2:55 am on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, arriving in the afternoon at Phuket International Airport at 1:30 pm. Return flights will leave Phuket 13 hours later, at 2:30 am, the early mornings of Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
The Chief Executive of Qatar Airways group buttered up the Phuket market, praising the beautiful beaches and turquoise waters, as well as the delicious Thai food, calling the island an ideal summer getaway location and a family-friendly destination.
He expressed pride in supporting the beginning of recovery for Thailand’s hobbling tourism economy, calling the relaunch of flights to Phuket from Qatar a milestone in international tourism’s recovery. He also noted that Qatar Airways has been industry leaders in customer service, safety and innovation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Civil Aviation Authority have been preparing the restrictions and procedures for reopening Phuket International Airport to foreign tourists and how travellers can move around Thailand once they arrive. Local and national government officials continue to be committed to the July 1 reopening date despite a surge in Covid-19 infections since April and the bumbling and slow vaccination rollout as the deadline for reaching 70% for herd immunity nears.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
