Thailand looks to increase UAE flight capacity as demand for Bangkok travel continues to grow.
Dubai: UAE carrier flydubai is expanding its Thailand operations, doubling its daily Bangkok flights from July 18 as demand for travel between the UAE and Southeast Asia continues to rise despite regional geopolitical challenges.
The additional Bangkok service comes after flydubai began daily flights to Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) on July 1, offering passengers another route into the Thai capital alongside its existing operations to Krabi.
With the expanded Bangkok schedule and daily Krabi flights, flydubai’s Thailand network will grow to up to 21 weekly flights.
“Just weeks after launching Bangkok as our newest destination, we are delighted to respond to strong demand by adding a second daily flight from Dubai,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at flydubai.
He added that Don Mueang International Airport provides convenient access to central Bangkok, while the additional frequency offers travellers more flexibility during the peak summer season.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) officials, who visited the UAE last week, said Thailand is expected to welcome more than 600,000 visitors from GCC countries by the end of 2026, including over 150,000 travellers from the UAE.
To meet growing demand, airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia and flydubai are expanding their operations between the two nations. More than 15 direct flights currently operate daily between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and various destinations in Thailand, with additional capacity expected.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said flydubai’s launch of the Dubai–Don Mueang route has further improved connectivity between the UAE and Bangkok, with services set to increase to twice daily from July 18.
Wider network expansion
Bangkok is among several new destinations added to flydubai’s expanding network this year.
The route is also available through the Emirates-flydubai codeshare partnership, enabling passengers to book a single ticket with through check-in and seamless connections across a combined network of more than 240 destinations worldwide.
Meanwhile, Dubai-based Emirates announced last week that it would add an extra flight to Phuket, increasing its services to three daily flights and 21 weekly flights.
The expansion, announced on July 6, reflects strong summer travel demand from Europe and the GCC, along with continued growth in tourism traffic to southern Thailand.
Meanwhile, Etihad Airways operates flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Chiang Mai, while Air Arabia serves Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi. Both UAE carriers have significantly expanded their Thailand networks, increasing routes and flight frequencies to meet growing passenger demand.
