New flights to the land of smiles
Two routes from London to Phuket, plus one from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok
New routes to the land of smiles
Virgin and Norse add London to Phuket, Condor to launch Abu Dhabi to Bangkok
July 31st, 2026. Both Virgin Atlantic and Norse Atlantic have lined up routes between London and the Thai holiday island, Phuket. The Virgin flights will be first onto the runway with three flights a week, departing on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, commencing on October 18th.
Flight number VS214 will take off from London’s Heathrow Airport at 15:45 and arrive at Phuket International Airport at 09:55. The return journey, flight number VS215, will depart from Phuket at 13:10 on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and will land back at Heathrow at 19:50.
The outbound flight will last a little over twelve hours, and the return will last about thirteen hours and forty minutes. A Boeing 787-9 aircraft will serve the route.
Norse Atlantic will operate three flights a week departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting on December 4th.
Flight number Z0797 will depart from London Gatwick Airport at 17:35 and arrive in Phuket at 12:30 the following day. The return leg, flight number Z0798, will leave Phuket at 14:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and land back at Gatwick at 20:50.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner will serve the route, and the duration will be just under twelve hours for the outbound flight and thirteen hours and twenty minutes for the return.
* At the time of writing, neither Virgin’s website nor app was responding, but SkyScanner shows a number of agents offering the flight.
Abu Dhabi to Bangkok
Meanwhile, Germany’s Condor is adding a service connecting Abu Dhabi with Bangkok. The flight will operate daily starting on November 4th.
Flight number DE2548 will take off from Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi, at 22:00 and arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 07:15 the following day. The return trip, flight number DE2549, will leave Bangkok at 19:55 and arrive back in Abu Dhabi at 00:10 the next morning.
The journey time will be six hours and fifteen minutes for the outbound flight and an hour longer for the return. The route will be served by an Airbus A330-900 Neo Aircraft.
Picture: Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 by Paul Lucas Via Wikimedia Commons
Hotel suggestions
Paradox Bangkok Sukhumvit 2
Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach
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