Trouble may be on the horizon for leading airline Thai Airways Internationals. It seems that their route from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son has such a positive effect on local business that tour companies and other local companies are planning court action if the company decides to scrap the route.

Thai Airways International (THAI) announced a few months ago that they were considering discontinuing the route as part of a scheme to cut loss-making secondary domestic routes. However, according to a report by the Bangkok Post, they plan to allow budget carrier Nok Air to take over the service.

In a recent press statement, the chairman of the Mae Hong Son chamber of commerce, Supot Klinpranit, announced that the tourism industry were distressed by THAI’s comments and that a number of tour operators were already starting to exclude Mae Hong Son from their programs.

However, it seems that there is a demand for the route as last year around 92,000 tourists travelled by plane to the province, generating a total of two billion baht per year in tourism.

With so much at stake, it seems that the service may continue a little longer.

-TN