Five airlines launch direct flights between Phuket and China this week

Five airlines are launching direct flights between China and Phuket in southern Thailand this week. The services will connect Phuket to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Chengdu.

Today, Phuket will welcome three direct flights from Shanghai on Spring Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines. All three services will fly daily.

Juneyao Airlines’ inaugural daily direct service from Nanjing will also land on Phuket’s runway today.

Tomorrow, China Eastern Airlines will launch direct flights between Phuket and Nanjing, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

On Friday, Sichuan Airlines’ direct service to Phuket will take off from Chengdu, flying every day.

Phuket Airport is ready to welcome masses of international and domestic tourists, according to Airport Director Monchai Tanot.

At present, Phuket Airport facilitates around 40,000 – 43,000 inbound and outbound passengers every day, said Monchai.

Airport traffic is at about 80% of pre-pandemic levels when the airport saw around 52,000 passengers come and go each day, said the airport director.

Monchai said the revival of several services to Europe this High Season has helped the airport get busy again.

Three more airlines including Hainan Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines have requested slots to commence direct services from China to Phuket.

If their slots are approved, a total of eight airlines will be operating direct routes between Phuket and mainland China.

Passengers as well as cabin crew on the inaugural flights of each new service from China will be presented with gifts upon arrival at the airport, said Monchai.

China recently reopened its border for the first time in three years. Given that China was once Thailand’s top tourism market, Thailand is bracing itself for an influx of arrivals from China, spiking during the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.

Online searches for flights to Thailand during Chinese New Year beat searches for flights to all other countries in the region, according to travel marketing company Sojern.