CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Chiang Mai International Airport handled more than 6.53 million passengers on 43,544 flights during the first eight months of 2026, with international travel showing continued growth despite overall passenger numbers remaining close to the same period last year.
Airport Director Karun Thanakuljirapath said international flights accounted for 13,232 of the total flights between January and August, or 30.39%. International passengers numbered about 1.95 million, representing 29.83% of all passengers and an increase of 14% from the same period in 2025.
Chinese and South Korean travellers together accounted for more than half of all international passengers using Chiang Mai airport.
Karun said passenger and flight numbers have generally increased each year since the Covid-19 pandemic eased. However, conditions in the Middle East during the early part of 2026 affected fuel prices and airline operating costs, while also influencing airlines’ flight schedule planning. As a result, the overall number of flights and passengers during the first eight months remained at a level close to that recorded during the same period last year.
The airport expects traffic to increase during the upcoming tourism season and winter flight schedule, which begins in late October. Passenger numbers for the full year are forecast to reach about 9.97 million, supported by additional flights and the return of some routes that were suspended during the summer schedule. Five airlines are scheduled to operate six routes during the winter schedule, providing more connections between Chiang Mai and major international destinations, particularly key tourism markets.
One of the returning services will be Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi–Chiang Mai–Abu Dhabi route, which was suspended during the summer schedule. Other airlines are also expected to resume services or increase frequencies to destinations including Jinghong in China’s Xishuangbanna region, Shanghai and Incheon.
The airport has been preparing for the expected increase in passengers by improving management of terminal space and facilities, flight and passenger flows, security and aviation safety.
It is also coordinating operations with airlines, government agencies and related businesses to ensure services remain efficient during the busy travel period.
Chiang Mai airport has also increased its capacity to handle flights through the installation of six new aircraft boarding bridges. All six bridges have been replaced and installed, with the completed facilities entering service on Aug. 21.
Several urgent infrastructure projects are also progressing according to schedule. These include construction of a new fire station, cargo building, Control Post 2 and a ground support equipment parking area, together with improvements to passenger services and other airport facilities.
The projects are intended to support continued growth in flight and passenger numbers over the coming years.
Karun said Chiang Mai airport, serving as a gateway to northern Thailand, is focusing on flight and passenger management, service standards, security, aviation safety and infrastructure development to accommodate growing air travel. The airport also aims to improve connections between Chiang Mai and destinations across Thailand and overseas as international travel continues to recover and expand.
