AZUR air flights to Thailand 2026: what has changed

AZUR air is reshaping its winter programme, so anyone flying from the Russian regions should double-check their departure dates. AZUR air flights to Thailand in 2026 are changing by tour operator and by date. In October, some flights to Pattaya and Phuket chartered by Fun&Sun were cancelled, yet according to tour operator Anex, the total capacity on these aircraft has actually grown slightly. Here is what this means for anyone travelling for the winter season.

What happened to the AZUR air programme

After the Fun&Sun flights were cancelled, the airline added extra capacity to Phuket together with Anex and Intourist. Travel agents in the regions noticed that departure dates had started to shift and assumed the programme was being cut again. For example, tourists from Samara booked on a cancelled flight on 29 November were moved to 3 December.

Anex has denied any new cuts. According to Yana Muromova, the company's deputy general director, the total capacity to Thailand on AZUR air aircraft is slightly higher than before the changes. The new flight programmes had to be worked out and loaded into the booking system, which is why flight information reached agencies with a delay. The tour operator is ready to expand its hotel allocations to match the extra seats, as its contracts allow this.

AZUR air flights to Thailand 2026: departure cities

AZUR air flights to Phuket are scheduled from November-December from 13 Russian cities, including:

• Moscow and Novosibirsk

• Yekaterinburg and Kazan

• Samara and Tyumen

Packages with these flights are sold by Anex and Intourist. Ikar and Nordwind also fly from several airports, with packages put together by Pegas Touristik and Fun&Sun. In Perm, for example, Fun&Sun moved tourists from cancelled flights onto Nordwind, while Anex launched its own AZUR air programme from 1 December. Local agents expect to fill the aircraft, as demand for Thailand is strong.

Interest in Thailand this winter is holding at last year's level, and in regions with fewer destinations to choose from, demand for Phuket may be even higher. We covered the wider picture in our article on direct flights from Russia to Thailand, and seasonal programmes in our piece on winter charters to Thailand.

How to get to Pattaya if your dates have shifted

If you are heading for Pattaya, it helps to keep a few options in reserve:

• a flight to Bangkok with a transfer to Pattaya: there are more flights there than anywhere else, so you have more flexibility

• flights to U-Tapao, the airport near Pattaya, now better linked to the city by the new section of Highway 7

• checking your departure date with the tour operator a few days before the trip, especially if you booked the package a long time ago

What this means for tenants and buyers

Steady capacity and strong demand mean Pattaya will again see plenty of visitors from Russia this winter, so good condos for the season get snapped up early. If your flight dates have moved by a few days, there is no need to worry: what matters is that your accommodation can be adjusted to match.

We will find an option from our Pattaya rental catalogue to fit your exact dates, and if you are thinking of buying a condo, our specialists will tell you about the districts and complexes and answer your questions before you fly.