The long-running US government shutdown is causing chaos for domestic flights, and now, countries around the world are starting to worry. In Thailand, the national tourism authority (TAT) is watching nervously, concerned the travel mess could hurt the strong recovery of its American tourist market.

With the shutdown lasting over a month, there aren't enough air traffic controllers or TSA staff at work. This has led to massive delays and flight cancellations across the US. The situation got so bad that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered airlines to cut 10% of their flights at 40 major airports last week.

For now, direct international flights to Thailand are still operating. But the TAT is worried about the "knock-on" effect. Most Americans must first take a US domestic flight to catch their international one. Those "feeder" flights are exactly the ones being cancelled or delayed.

"We need to keep an eye on this situation as there is a tendency for delays of transiting international passengers," said Chiravadee Khunsub, TAT's deputy governor for the Americas.

Regional Concerns and Projections

Things could get worse. According to the Bangkok Post, Mrs. Chiravadee warned that if the shutdown continues, the FAA predicts flight cuts could double to 20%. If that happens, she said, international flights would almost certainly be affected.

This uncertainty is causing concern across the entire Indo-Pacific region. Other destinations in the Bay of Bengal are also on edge, as they rely on a steady flow of American tourists.

Despite the travel headaches, Americans still want to travel. The TAT noted that with high prices in the US, many travelers see a long-haul trip to Thailand as a much better deal.

The numbers back this up. As of November 9, Thailand had already welcomed 870,469 US tourists, a 5.5% increase from last year. The TAT remains confident it will still reach its goal of 1 million American visitors by the end of the year.

BOB Post