The First Flight From Chengdu, China Has Arrived In Koh Samui

The recent arrival of a flight from Chengdu, China at Koh Samui Airport in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand marked the first time in over three years.

At approximately 5:40 p.m., Koh Samui welcomed flight EU2807 from Chengdu Airlines, carrying 130 Chinese passengers.

The airport arranged a special ceremony to commemorate the inaugural flight, which included a traditional arch-shaped water salute over the plane as it taxied down the runway, in accordance with international regulations.

During the welcoming ceremony, the attendees, including the Deputy Governor of Surat Thani province, Nantawat Charoenwan, the Senior Deputy District Chief of Koh Samui Suthipong Thongruang, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Koh Samui Office Kanokkittika Kritwuttihorn, President of the Koh Samui Tourist Promotion Association Ratchaporn Poolsawat and Director of Samui Airport Nutchayathorn Natsudanitwipha, presented the 130 Chinese passengers with garlands and other souvenirs as a gesture of hospitality.

After ceasing operations in February 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chengdu Airlines made its first return to Samui Airport on Sunday, marking a gap of over three years.

With a capacity of 140 people, an Airbus A319 will operate the direct route between Chengdu and Koh Samui once a week on a Sunday.

Chengdu Airlines plans to increase the frequency of the Chengdu-Koh Samui route to three times a week in May 2023 if demand remains strong.

In 2019, before the pandemic, Koh Samui welcomed 308,303 Chinese visitors who contributed 14 billion baht to the island’s GDP, making the return of Chinese tourists crucial to the island’s struggling economy.

With China opening its borders in January, several airlines are vying for slots to launch new or reinstated routes to various Chinese cities, intensifying the competition.

Thai Airlines has expanded its services to five destinations in China, providing flights from Bangkok to Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing.

In addition, several airlines including Spring Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines have launched direct flights between Phuket and Shanghai, Chengdu, and Nanjing.

Hainan Airlines has recently resumed its flights between Bangkok and Hainan, which is often referred to as “China’s Hawaii.”

Suttipong Kongpool, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), stated that this month alone, 970 flights from China have been granted permission to land in Thailand.

SOURCE: Thaiger

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