Emirates operated a special flight to Phuket International Airport, making it the first international carrier to arrive at the popular island destination since Thailand re-opened its borders for international travellers. The special service coincides with the visit of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and a delegation of government leaders to boost confidence in the tourism sector and demonstrate Phuket’s readiness to welcome international and domestic travellers.

The first international flight, which heralds the return of international travel to Phuket, was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival at the airport, in the presence of a VIP delegation led by the Prime Minister and other Thai government officials representing the travel and tourism sector, in addition to the airport authority’s executive management team, Emirates representatives and media.

With safety as a priority, Emirates is gradually expanding its passenger services to 99 cities in November, allowing travellers to connect safely and conveniently to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific via Dubai.

Emirates has been serving Thailand since 1990 with this year marking the airline’s 30th anniversary in the country. In September, the airline resumed its daily scheduled services between Dubai and Bangkok and just recently began offering semi-commercial flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong, also on a daily basis.