Patthapong held talks with the Airlines Association to increase regional flights and stimulate the secondary city economy, while ordering the Department of Airports to cut aircraft parking fees by 50% to mitigate the effects of the Middle East war, starting 1 June 2026.
Mr. Patthapong Patarapisit, Deputy Minister of Transport, chaired a meeting with Mr. Danai Ruangsorn, Director-General of the Department of Airports; Air Chief Marshal Manat Chuanaprayun, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand; Mr. Surachai Nuprom, Deputy CEO and Acting CEO of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd.; executives and representatives from the Airlines Association of Thailand to promote and support flights to airports under the Department of Airports at the Ministry of Transport conference room.
Mr. Patthapong said this discussion is an important collaboration between the public and private sectors to leverage the capabilities of regional airports in the North, Northeast, and South, which currently have increased capacity to handle more flights and passengers. Providing various benefits will not only reduce costs for airlines but also create more convenient and accessible travel options for the public, directly supporting income distribution and strengthening local economies at the regional level. He urged airlines to consider opening new routes, both domestic and international, and to increase flights to both major and secondary destinations through regular and charter services, offering passengers more choices and boosting the air travel economy.
Mr. Danai Ruangsorn, Director-General of the Department of Airports, added that the DOA has previously implemented measures to promote new domestic flight routes in 2025, such as fee reductions for new routes and new airlines. These measures have encouraged airlines like Thai Lion Air on the Don Mueang–Nakhon Phanom route, Thai Vietjet Air on the Suvarnabhumi–Nakhon Si Thammarat route, and Thai AirAsia on routes from Suvarnabhumi to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Buriram, and Narathiwat. The DOA will consider extending these measures and also explore incentives for opening new international routes.
Additionally, the meeting proposed enhancing facilities to stimulate travel demand among Thai and international tourists and reducing costs to encourage more travel. They discussed measures to alleviate the impact of the Middle East conflict by lowering operational costs for airlines during this crisis. Initially, the DOA will grant a 50% discount on aircraft parking fees to airlines landing and parking at DOA airports for six months, effective from 1 June 2026 to 30 November 2026.
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