Chiang Mai Airport Adjusts Over 160 Flights to Dodge Lanterns as Tourists Surge

CHIANG MAI, Nov 5 (TNA) - Chiang Mai International Airport has implemented major flight adjustments, including the cancellation and rescheduling of a combined 161 flights over November 5 and 6 due to the mass release of sky lanterns during the peak of the Yi Peng festival. 

The airport is experiencing a significant surge in passenger traffic, with daily throughput exceeding 30,000 people. 

The terminal has been decorated with Lanna lanterns, and staff are distributing coconut shell krathongs as souvenirs. The flight changes include 65 cancellations and 96 reschedulings. The airport has imposed an early curfew, with the last flight on both days scheduled no later than 7:00 p.m. local time, to fully avoid the period when lantern releases are permitted.

To accommodate post-festival travel, the airport has added 44 extra flights. Furthermore, safety protocols have been enhanced, with increased ground staff and a raised frequency of runway and taxiway inspections from six times to eight times a day, ensuring the rapid removal of any lantern debris that could pose a threat to aircraft operations. 

The Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai has begun its grand display, transforming Tha Phae Gate and key areas with thousands of illuminated Lanna-style lanterns. Elaborate light tunnel, over 200 meters long, featured a respectful tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother. The spectacle is expected to attract over 120,000 tourists, injecting more than 2.5 billion baht into the local economy. -819 (TNA)