THAI Statement on No Flights to Italy on 30 March 2020

Mr. Chakkrit Parapuntakul, Second Vice Chairman and Acting President, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI), said that the website of the Royal  Thai Embassy, Rome, the Republic of Italy, published that THAI would operate the Bangkok-Rome flight on 30 March 2020. The ongoing global outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in Italy's national lockdown. In addition, the Thai Ministry of Public Health declared Italy as a hypothetical COVID-19 red zone and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has enforced strict measures on airlines providing service to passengers from the aforementioned zone. Therefore, THAI has cancelled flights to Rome since 15 March 2020 and flight service to Milan since 13 March 2020. Furthermore, THAI offices have been temporarily closed and some staff were transferred to Bangkok. It remains uncertain that THAI would operate flights to Italy as appeared in the media.

THAI will discuss this matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find a way to fly stranded Thais home.