Thailand expands air links with Vietnam and UAE

Airports of Thailand (AoT) is expanding international air links through new partnerships with Vietnam Airlines and flydubai as it seeks to strengthen Thailand’s position as a regional aviation hub while boosting tourism, trade and investment. Vietnam Airlines launched its new Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket route on July 2 under an agreement with AoT. The service operates four flights a week, offering 39,500 seats annually to meet growing demand from Vietnam, which sent more than 300,000 visitors to Thailand in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, flydubai began daily Dubai-Bangkok flights on July 1 following discussions with AoT at Routes World 2025. The airline plans to increase the service to twice daily from Sept 15, raising flights between Dubai and Thailand to as many as 28 a week. In a related development, Thailand is preparing to introduce a new air traffic management system at regional airports to improve aviation efficiency, support tourism and strengthen connectivity with secondary cities. Lalida Persvivatana, deputy government spokeswoman, said the Ministry of Transport had asked Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd (Aerothai) to introduce the Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) to Thailand. AFIS uses advanced technology and automated processes to provide aerodrome flight information. Designed for airports with relatively low traffic volumes, it is expected to improve airspace management, reduce staffing requirements and enhance operational efficiency. The AFIS system will be piloted at Phrae and Phetchabun airports by 2028 before being considered for other regional airports. She cited Phitsanulok Airport as a strategic gateway to the lower North, linking nearby provinces including Sukhothai, Phetchabun, Uttaradit and Tak. Subscribe to our newsletters for daily updates, breaking news and exclusive content.