Thailand made a big push for its share of the global route map this week. Airports of Thailand (AOT), the state-linked company running Bangkok's two main airports plus Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai and Ubon Ratchathani, sent a senior delegation to Routes World 2026 in Frankfurt, held 21–23 October. President Paweena Jariyathitipong led the team, alongside Sirote Duangratana, the company's senior executive vice president for business development and marketing.
The pitch was straightforward: sit down with airlines and airports, talk data, and convince carriers that Thailand deserves more slots. AOT booked meetings with more than 50 airlines and airports over the three days, discussing new routes, higher frequencies on existing ones, and wider commercial partnerships. Rather than a generic sales line, the AOT team brought market insights and feasibility assessments for candidate routes — the kind of homework airlines want before committing aircraft to a new destination.
There was also something to celebrate. AOT used the event to mark three international routes that launched in 2026: Virgin Atlantic's London–Phuket service, Riyadh Air's Riyadh–Bangkok flights, and LOT Polish Airlines flying Warsaw to Bangkok. That trio covers a telling spread of markets — UK leisure traffic heading for the beach, fast-growing Gulf connectivity, and a return of Central European capacity to Southeast Asia.
For anyone planning a Thailand trip from Europe or the Middle East, the practical upshot is real. Direct flights mean fewer connections, sharper competition on fares, and easier access to Phuket without transiting a Gulf or Asian hub. Riyadh Air's entry into Bangkok adds a fresh option for travellers routing via Saudi Arabia, while the LOT service gives Polish and Central European travellers a one-stop-free long-haul alternative. And if AOT's 50-plus conversations bear fruit, expect announcements of further new services to Thai airports in the coming seasons.
Routes World is the aviation industry's route-development marketplace, where airports essentially audition for airline business — so heavy AOT presence signals how aggressively Thailand is chasing inbound tourism recovery through air connectivity. Travellers may not follow the diplomacy, but they'll feel the results at booking time.
