Chiang Mai International Airport has announced the cancellation of 15 flights and the re-timing of 36 others during next week's Loy Krathong festival when celebration lanterns are floated.
Airport director Gp Capt Wisut Chanthana said the airport has cancelled nine domestic and six international flights during the festival in Chiang Mai during Nov 13-15.
Another 36 flights -- 24 domestic and 12 international -- have been re-scheduled to avoid the evening peak hours of the festival.
The changes were made to avoid accidents from hot-air lanterns which are released by residents and tourists during the festival, known locally as the Yi Peng festival, he said.
Gp Capt Wisut said the airport also asked the Chiang Mai Air Traffic Control Centre and the public and private sectors to make necessary preparations and issue precautionary measures for the event.
Passengers have been informed of the flight changes so they can adjust their travel plans. The airport has advised communities close to the airport to strictly observe the period of time permitted for releasing lanterns.
According to an announcement by Chiang Mai's city hall, the release of lanterns is allowed during the Loy Krathong festival between next Monday and Tuesday.
The launch of hot-air lanterns or khom loy will be allowed on Monday and Tuesday from 7pm-1am, while gas-fuelled lanterns, or khom kwan, are permitted only on Monday from 10am to 12pm.
Gp Capt Wisut said inspections of airport runways and air safety zones will be increased from four times to 10 times a day during the festival. A team will collect floating lanterns which fall around the airport. During last year's festival, 59 lanterns fell around the airport while 142 lanterns were collected in 2014 and 1,425 in 2013.
Meanwhile, State Railway of Thailand Electric Train (SRTET) acting president Prasert Attanandana said the Airport Rail Link (ARL) will step up security measures during the festival. The ARL authorities will monitor hot-air lanterns which could drift across the ARL route while weapons and firecrackers will be prohibited on board trains, he added.
