Direct flights between Thailand and the United States will resume on Oct 26 after being terminated a decade ago over US aviation regulator’s safety concerns.
United Airlines has announced the return of daily flights between Bangkok and Los Angeles from Oct 26 – making it the first carrier from either country to offer a direct connection since 2015.
The downgrade of Thailand’s aviation safety from Category 1 to Category 2 in 2015 by the US Federal Aviation Administration banned direct flights. Hopes for a resumption grew after the US aviation regulator reinstated Thailand in the top category in April this year.
United said direct flights between the Thai capital and the US west coast will stop over in Hong Kong. The airline will operate a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the route.
Thai Airways International has no direct flights to US destinations, partly due to strong competition on the cross-Pacific routes.
Former transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said in June he was keen to see the national carrier return to US cities, to boost Suvarnabhumi airport as a hub with a network to all major destinations. However, CEO Chai Eamsiri said the route was not on the Thai airline’s additional destination list.