A total of 74 scheduled flights to and from Chiang Mai will be cancelled during the three-day Loy Krathong festival next week to prevent any accidents involving sky lanterns.
Of the cancelled flights, 62 are domestic services and 12 are international.
Another 41 flights, both domestic and international, will be rescheduled. Two more flights will be added.
The flight changes affect travel from Nov 24 to Nov 26.
Chiang Mai international airport director, Capt Wisoot Chantana, said the airport usually handles about 180 flights each day, for a total of 20,000 passengers. Passenger numbers usually rise to about 25,000 over the festival period.
For next week's Loy Krathong festival, Chiang Mai province has announced set times for releasing sky lanterns in five districts -- Muang, Hang Dong, Saraphi, Mae Rim and San Sai. People in these districts can celebrate Loy Krathong the next day on Nov 26, with smoke lanterns from 10am until noon and sky lanterns after 9pm.
Cap Wisoot said travellers should check flight schedules with their airlines, as the carriers have changed flight times often because of safety concerns.
He said the airport would increase runway safety inspections to 10 times a day from the normal four.
The airport had informed airlines of the lantern regulations and the airlines requested changes to flight schedules from Nov 24-26, Capt Wisoot said.
Thai AirAsia has cancelled 24 flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and six flights each between Chiang Mai and Phuket, and Chiang Mai and Krabi.
Thai Lion air cancelled six flights and Bangkok Airways eight flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
As of yesterday, 62 domestic flights had been cancelled during the festival.