No ban on chartered flights, confirms AoT Phuket official

PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has no plans to ban chartered flights, despite a Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) directive ordering the airport to give priority to commercial passenger flights, an AoT Phuket official confirmed today.

“Chartered flights have not been banned from landing at Phuket Airport. However, we must follow the DCA’s directive, which states that commercial passenger airlines with regular slots take priority over chartered flights,” explained the AoT official, who declined to be named.

According to the official, there are just not enough slots to meet demand, and so priority must be given to those carriers with regularly scheduled services.

“Safety is a priority during the busy holiday season,” AoT official said. “It can get very busy, so we have to make sure that everything runs smoothly – with commercial passengers carriers landing at their allotted times.”

While there was no ban, chartered flights wanting to land at Phuket Airport would first need to obtain permission from the DCA, he added.

“Any charted flights wanting to land in Phuket Airport will be given slots by the DCA, as soon as they become available,” he explained.

“We apologize for any inconvenience or delays this may cause, but it is a necessary safety precaution,”

— Chutharat Plerin