Thai airlines announce route suspensions after fuel price surge
Thai Lion Air, Nok Air and Thai AirAsia suspended several domestic and international routes amid rising fuel costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The three airlines announced that the route changes made this week were prompted by higher operating costs following a sharp increase in fuel prices.
Thai Lion Air suspended its route from Don Mueang International Airport to Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, from May 9 to September 30.
The airline had launched the route in January this year, operating one flight a day before the suspension. The bookings for the Bangkok to Seoul service would resume from October 1.
Nok Air cancelled its domestic Chiang Mai to Udon Thani route for April. Thai AirAsia and Thai AirAsia X also announced further suspensions on several routes.
Thai AirAsia suspended flights include:
- Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Narathiwat from April 21 to October 24.
- Don Mueang International Airport to Xi’an Xianyang International Airport from May 11 to October 23
- Hong Kong International Airport to Naha International Airport in Okinawa from May 7 to October 24
- Phuket International Airport to Chennai International Airport from April 13 to October 24
- Phuket International Airport to Cochin International Airport from April 17 to October 23.
Thai AirAsia X suspended flights from Don Mueang International Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport from April 17 to October 24, and from Don Mueang International Airport to King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia from April 14 to May 30.
The route suspensions were announced after several airlines reported fare increases. In March, Thai Airways said ticket prices would rise by 10% to 15% because of higher fuel costs, while AirAsia announced today, April 7, that fares would increase by 40%.
Despite the suspensions and fare increases, the government said earlier this month that six airlines had agreed to offer discounts of 15% to 30% on domestic routes during the Songkran holiday. The measure was intended to help people travel to their home provinces to spend time with their families.
The six airlines named in the scheme were Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet.
The discounted routes cover flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai district in Songkhla, Koh Samui in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Krabi, Trang, Narathiwat and Khon Kaen.
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