Chiang Mai flights canceled, rescheduled for lantern festival

CHIANG MAI, (Thailand): Chiang Mai International Airport announced that 74 flights were canceled and 96 flights were rescheduled during the Yipeng Festival on Thursday, November 14, Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16.

Ronnakorn Chalermsanyakorn, director of Chiang Mai International Airport, advised passengers scheduled to fly on Friday and Saturday to arrive at the airport early to ensure they do not miss rescheduled flights.

He also warned of possible traffic congestion.

For two days, the Chiang Mai sky will be filled with floating lanterns released to mark Loy Krathong.

Northerners release buoys into the sky rather than into the water as elsewhere in Thailand.

Many airlines decided to cancel or reschedule their flights to avoid hitting these floating beacons, but the airport warned locals not to leave these beacons in red zones or near the runway.

Ronnakorn said that in addition to the canceled and rescheduled flights, there will be 16 extra flights during the period, 8 of which will be domestic.

Ronnakorn said the change in flights should not affect passengers because they were informed in a timely manner.

He also added that runway checks will be increased to 10 times a day to ensure that floating lanterns do not explode.

Earlier, the airport called on local leaders to warn villagers living nearby not to leave lanterns within a 5-kilometre radius of the runway.

The total restricted area is close to 20 km from both ends of the track. – Nation/ANN