The Thai Cabinet has approved the Thai-Lao accord to increase the limits on seat numbers that Thai and Lao airlines can carry between the two Southeast Asian countries.
Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told reporters that the Cabinet has agreed to ramp up the seat allocations on the Bangkok-Vientiane and Vientiane-Bangkok flights up to 14,500 seats per week from the current 2,100 seats per week.
For the Bangkok-Luang Prabang and Luang Prabang-Bangkok routes, the number of seats will be increased to 10,000 per week from 1,000 per week.
The seat quotas for customs airports approved for imported and exported goods between Thailand and Laos have also been raised to 2,100 from 450.
This adjustment is meant to deal with the growing number of passengers between the two countries and boost tourism in the CLMV countries, or Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, Arkhom said.
Meanwhile, Arkhom has ordered airlines that have frequent flight delays to shape up. He asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to impose sanctions on carriers that are not able to meet their flight schedules.
CAAT said it will decide on whether to suspend erring airlines, notably Nok Air, which has been cited as one of the worst offenders, after the agency meets next week with airline officials on the cause of the constant postponements.
Photo: calflier001
