Chiang Mai airport has been buoyed by plans by Qatar Airways to begin service to the northern city by the end of this year.
Wisoot Chanthana, the airport general manager, on Tuesday welcomed the move by the Middle Eastern carrier, saying the airport has room to handle more flights with big aircraft, although it is on course to go over capacity.
The facility is expected to receive 9 million passengers this year, 1 million more that full capacity. But Gp Capt Wisoot said the airport could solve traffic and passenger congestion problems.
Qatar Airways announced on May 24 it would launch five weekly flights from Doha to Chaing Mai on Dec 16 via Yangon. The airline will use an A330-200 on the route.
Chiang Mai will be the fourth city served in Thailand after Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi. Flights from Doha to Krabi will commence on Dec 6.
"We have seen increased travel demand for our services to Thailand and now with the introduction of our award-winning product to popular secondary cities such as Chiang Mai and Krabi, we provide overseas visitors and tour operators with greater flexibility and ease of travel when designing their Thailand holiday itineraries," Marwan Koleilat, a senior vice president of the airline, said on its website.