Thai Airways International (THAI) has delayed resuming domestic flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket from Dec 25 to Jan 1, the airline announced on Twitter.
The delay is due to a resurgence of Covid-19 infections in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. No local transmission is known to have been detected in Phuket.
The flights, the first to be relaunched since the airline suspended its international and domestic services at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in April, will operate until Feb 28.
The airline will operate three weekly return flights to Chiang Mai on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as well as thrice weekly return flights to Phuket on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The airline said customers who booked the flights before Jan 1 are entitled to a refund.
The source said THAI management held an emergency discussion in the wake of the Covid-19 resurgence in several provinces and decided to move the relaunch flights to Jan 1.
Management is also closely assessing the infection situation in the country. If the transmissions escalate, the airline may opt to delay the relaunch flights indefinitely.
The airline said that even though Phuket has reported no transmission so far, resuming regular flights there and serving a single destination would not be financially viable.
THAI plans to deploy the wide-body Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on the two flights which also offer full on-board services.
Customers will also accrue Royal Orchid Plus mileage on the flights.
