PHUKET, Thailand – Phuket is preparing for the high season with four international airlines introducing or expanding scheduled direct services linking the island with Europe, the Middle East and Eastern Europe from October 2026.
Virgin Atlantic began its London Heathrow–Phuket service on October 18, operating three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft configured for 250 passengers.
Swiss airline Edelweiss Air is scheduled to begin flights from Zurich to Phuket on October 25, with three weekly services on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Airbus A340-300 aircraft with 314 seats.
Kuwait Airways will launch its Kuwait City–Phuket route on October 27, operating twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured for 334 passengers.
Belavia Belarusian Airlines will begin scheduled flights from Minsk to Phuket on October 29, converting a route previously served by charter flights into regular services. The airline plans two flights per week, on Thursdays and Sundays, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft with a capacity of 210–250 passengers.
The additional connections give international travellers more direct options for reaching Phuket during the busy winter travel period, linking Thailand’s largest island with major departure markets in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Kuwait and Belarus. (Story, Photo: MCOT Phuket)
