The Airports of Thailand (AoT) on November 8 announced that about 160 flights were either cancelled or rescheduled to prevent possible accidents from floating lanterns released during Loy Krathong Festival from November 10 – 12.

Lanterns are released during the festival (Photo: bangkokpost)

Despite warnings issued nationwide regarding the banning of floating objects during the festival, AoT said airports in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai could not afford the risks. Therefore, it had decided to cancel or move flights.

AoT President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn again pleaded to revelers across the country not to release floating lanterns, hot-air balloons, fireworks and drones or emit laser beams near airports for the sake of aircraft safety.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director of Chiang Mai Airport Thananrat Prasertsri said 96 flights were cancelled and 55 flights rescheduled at Chiang Mai airport, all of which accounted for 22.63 percent of all the flights during the period.

(Source: VNA)