Chiang Mai International Airport

Chiang Mai International Airport ท่าอากาศยานเชียงใหม่ Tha-akatsayan Chiang Mai
IATA: CNX ICAO: VTCC
Summary
Airport type	Public / military
Owner	Royal Thai Air Force
Operator	Airports of Thailand
Serves	Chiang Mai
Location	Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Opened	1 October 1921;104 years ago (1921-10-01)
Focus city for	Thai Airways International
Operating base for	Bangkok Airways Nok Air Thai AirAsia
Elevation  AMSL	316 m / 1,036 ft
Coordinates	18°46′00″N098°57′45″E / 18.76667°N 98.96250°E / 18.76667; 98.96250
Website	chiangmai.airportthai.co.th
Maps
CNX/VTCC Location in Chiang Mai province Show map of Chiang Mai Province CNX/VTCC Location in Thailand Show map of Thailand CNX/VTCC Location in Southeast Asia Show map of Southeast Asia
Interactive map of Chiang Mai International Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 18/36 3,400 11,155 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers 9,082,071 10.43% International passengers 2,518,671 34.05% Domestic passengers 6,563,400 3.43% Aircraft movements 59,493 6.88% Freight (tonnes) 5,475 4.19%
Source: [1] : 1  Airports of Thailand [2]

Aerial view of the airport's runways and southern part of the city, captured from Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai International Airport( IATA : CNX, ICAO : VTCC) is an international airport in Suthep subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Mai district, Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. It is a major gateway that links northern Thailand to the rest of the region and is currently the fourth-busiest airport in the country. It is managed by Airports of Thailand.

History

Front of Chiang Mai International Airport

Chiang Mai Airport International Departure Hall

Airplanes at Chiang Mai International Airport

The airport began operations in 1934 as Suthep Airport, ^[3] after it developed as an airstrip in the early 1920s. Until World War Two, it was used mainly for postal delivery services, with some military use. During the war, it was used by the occupying Japanese forces, and was hence attacked by British and US air forces. ^[4]

The first scheduled passenger flight to Chiang Mai arrived in 1947, with the foundation of Siamese Airways. At this time and until the late 1950s the runway surface was still grass or dirt, with very few support buildings. ^[4]

Airports of Thailand expanded the terminal with upgrades in 2014 including expansion of the apron for larger planes, extending operating hours to 24/7 (effective April 2014), and enlarging the international arrival hall and domestic departure hall. ^[5] As of 2018, 31 airlines operated at CNX, serving 11 million passengers, 78,210 flights and 14,612 tonnes of cargo. ^[6]

As a result of the temporary closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2008 due to the protests, Chiang Mai was used as an alternative stopover for China Airlines flights between Taipei and Europe and for Swiss International Air Lines' Singapore-Zurich flights. On 24 January 2011, the airport became a secondary hub for Thai AirAsia. ^[7] China Airlines subsequently regularised the stopover.

Facilities

The airport is at an elevation of 316 metres (1,037 ft) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 18/36 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,100 by 45 metres (10,171 ft × 148 ft). ^[8] There are two terminals, one for domestic passengers and the other for international flights.^{[ citation needed ]}

Units

The following lists the units that were based at Chiang Mai Airport:

Royal Thai Air Force

• 411 Fighter Squadron of 41st Wing RTAF

Royal Air Force

• No. 20 Squadron RAF detachment, 1 September 1961 - 18 February 1970, equipped with Hunter FGA 9 ^[9]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air China	Beijing–Capital [ citation needed ]
Bangkok Airways	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, [10] Koh Samui, [11] Phuket [11]
Cebu Pacific	Manila [12]
China Airlines	Taipei–Taoyuan [13]
China Southern Airlines	Shenzhen [ citation needed ]
Eastar Jet	Busan,[ citation needed ] Seoul–Incheon [ citation needed ]
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi [ citation needed ]
EVA Air	Taipei–Taoyuan [13]
HK Express	Hong Kong [14]
Korean Air	Seoul–Incheon [15]
Lao Airlines	Luang Prabang [16]
Malaysia Airlines	Kuala Lumpur–International [17]
Myanmar Airways International	Mandalay,[ citation needed ] Yangon [ citation needed ]
Nok Air	Bangkok–Don Mueang, [10] Udon Thani [11]
Ruili Airlines	Xishuangbanna [18]
Scoot	Singapore [19]
Spring Airlines	Xi'an [20]
Starlux Airlines	Taipei–Taoyuan [13]
Thai AirAsia	Bangkok–Don Mueang, [10] Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, [10] Hanoi, [11] Hat Yai, [11] Hua Hin, [11] Khon Kaen, [11] Krabi, [11] Phuket, [11] Sapporo–Chitose, [11] Surat Thani, [11] Taipei–Taoyuan [11] Udon Thani [ citation needed ]
Thai Airways International	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi [10]
Thai Lion Air	Bangkok–Don Mueang [10]
Thai VietJet Air	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, [10] Osaka–Kansai [ citation needed ]

Statistics

Traffic by calendar year

Comparison of passenger volume, aircraft movements and cargo volume at Chiang Mai International Airport, by year ^[21]

Year	Passengers	Change from previous year	Movements	Cargo (tons)	Notes
2011	3,880,037	–	32,445	21,484
2012	4,491,331	015.75%	36,981	19,628
2013	5,463,921	021.65%	43,366	18,188
2014	6,630,624	021.35%	52,642	17,796
2015	8,365,851	026.17%	63,843	18,425
2016	9,446,320	012.92%	69,202	18,512
2017	10,230,280	08.3%	71,994	17,302
2018	10,989,869	07.42%	78,210	14,615
2019	11,333,548	03.13%	79,504	12,313
2020	4,851,475	057.19%	39,455	4,915
2021	1,762,732	063.67%	16,051	3,318
2022	5,459,481	0209.72%	39,027	5,584
2023	8,224,573	050.65%	55,663	5,255
2024	9,082,071	06.88%	59,493	5,474

Busiest international routes 2019

Busiest international routes to and from Chiang Mai Airport (2019) ^[22]

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	Change %
1	Shanghai–Pudong	446,398	18.41%
2	Hong Kong	323,897	10.71%
3	Guangzhou	297,819	3.67%
4	Seoul–Incheon	251,805	64.77%
5	Kunming	232,791	15.44%
6	Taipei–Taoyuan	221,975	192.24%
7	Kuala Lumpur–International	171,918	3.84%
8	Singapore	128,657	4.99%
9	Macau	112,956	11.17%
10	Hangzhou	110,614	43.60%

Busiest domestic routes 2019

Busiest domestic routes to and from Chiang Mai Airport (2019) ^[22]

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	Change %
1	Bangkok–Don Mueang	3,565,272	0.39%
2	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi	2,866,138	1.81%
3	Phuket	415,726	12.27%
4	Pattaya	323,547	0.40%
5	Krabi	209,382	0.31%

References

1. "2016 Traffic Report; AOT Airports Traffic Overview" (PDF). AIRPORTS OF THAILAND (AOT) PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
2. "Air Transport Statistic". Airports of Thailand. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
3. ประวัติความเป็นมา
4. The Chiang Mai International Airport, Chiang Mai a la Carte Tour
5. "AoT expands Chiang Mai airport : TTR Weekly". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
6. "Air Transport Statistic". Airports of Thailand PLC (AOT). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
7. "AirAsia opens new hub in Chiang Mai". Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
8. Airport information for VTCC from DAFIF (effective Oct 2006)
9. Jefford 2001, p. 34.
10. "Bangkok, Thailand BKK". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 109–113. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
11. "Chiang Mai, Thailand CNX". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 274–274. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
12. Salcedo, Dirk Andrei (30 October 2024). "Cebu Pacific launches direct Manila-Chiang Mai flights". Aviation Updates Philippines. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
13. "Taipei, Chinese Taipei TPE". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1253–1255. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
14. "Hong Kong (SAR) China HKG". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 543–547. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
15. "Seoul, Korea Republic Of SEL". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1186–1190. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
16. "Luang Prabang, Laos LPQ". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 746–746. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
17. "Malaysia Airlines introduces new routes to Maldives, Chiang Mai and Da Nang, tickets on sale today". MalayMail. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
18. "‌开航｜10月28日起，瑞丽航空开通西双版纳=清迈航线，每周3班" . Retrieved 26 September 2025.
19. "Singapore, Singapore SIN". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1214–1219. August 2025. ISSN   1466-8718. OCLC   41608313.
20. "西安直飞泰国清迈！新航线11月开通".
21. "AOT traffic statistics" (PDF). 11 July 2024.
22. "Annual Airport 2019" (PDF). Airports of Thailand PCL . Retrieved 31 August 2020.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C. G. (2001). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN   1-84037-141-2.

External links

• Chiang Mai travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Current weather for VTCC at NOAA / NWS
• Accident history for CNX at Aviation Safety Network