Four airlines allow fresh fruit packs on flights free of charge

[webfact]

Four airlines allow fresh fruit packs on flights free of charge

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT)- The Ministry of Commerce has arranged with four airlines to allow passengers to carry a maximum of 20 kilograms of fresh fruit on individual flights free of charge. The measure is intended to help reduce the surplus of fresh fruit currently being produced, and bolster prices in the domestic market.

 

Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit visited an assistance project for fruit growers at Surat Thani airport, following the conclusion of MOUs between the Ministry of Commerce and the airlines, namely Thai Smile, Bangkok Airway, Nok Air and Air Asia.

 

Each airline passenger is allowed to carry a maximum of 20 kilos of fresh fruit on a flight free of charge. However, the fruit is to be fully contained and sealed in packages prepared by the Department of Internal Trade in accordance with aviation rules. There are five-kilogram packs and 10-kilogram packs which are available to air passengers at no cost at the public relations counters of all those airlines.

 

The Commerce Minister said today the measure will be provided for fruit in all seasons and officials will assess the quantities of fruit to be distributed with the help of the airlines. He is scheduled to visit Longkong markets in southern border provinces on August 31 and September 1. He also plans to apply the measure to assist fruit growers, at both Hat Yai and Narathiwat airports.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2019-08-26

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[sunnyboy2018]

This will change my life!

[highonthai]

Durian included? The wife will be ecstatic!

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

However, the fruit is to be fully contained and sealed in packages prepared by the Department of Internal Trade in accordance with aviation rules.

I wonder if that is sealed in plastic by any chance?

[AhFarangJa]

So, the scenario will roll out something like this...........

Check in with a budget airline.........sorry you are 5 kgs overweight on your check in luggage.........x amount surcharge......then, before boarding you are offered an additional 20 kgs. of fruit, on top of your 7 kgs. hand luggage. Multiply that by say 150 passengers, and you have an additional 3,000 kgs of hand luggage on the flight. Where will they put all this fruit, ..stack it in the toilets I presume. 

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The measure is intended to help reduce the surplus of fresh fruit currently being produced, and bolster prices in the domestic market.

Why not ask the fruit farmers to stop producing so much, and give them the money that the extra fuel to carry 3-4 tonnes of extra weight would have cost. Win win. 

[Estrada]

Australia, Japan and a number of other countries, do not allow passengers to import fruit due to pest control. I also doubt whether airlines will allow Durian. I used to import Durian into the UK 26 years ago by Qantas until passengers complained about the aroma seeping up from the hold. That is when Qantas and other airlines place a ban on Durian on passenger flights,

[bluesofa]

32 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

So, the scenario will roll out something like this...........

Check in with a budget airline.........sorry you are 5 kgs overweight on your check in luggage.........x amount surcharge......then, before boarding you are offered an additional 20 kgs. of fruit, on top of your 7 kgs. hand luggage. Multiply that by say 150 passengers, and you have an additional 3,000 kgs of hand luggage on the flight. Where will they put all this fruit, ..stack it in the toilets I presume. 

Usually by the time it's stacked in the toilet it's become second-hand.

[sammieuk1]

Just Grapes in bottles as well would be nice ????

[Emdog]

3 minutes ago, Estrada said:

Australia, Japan and a number of other countries, do not allow passengers to import fruit due to pest control. I also doubt whether airlines will allow Durian. I used to import Durian into the UK 26 years ago by Qantas until passengers complained about the aroma seeping up from the hold. That is when Qantas and other airlines place a ban on Durian on passenger flights,

 Crime+investigation TV show "Australian Border Security" guilty pleasure. Seems every show has idiots trying to bring in fruit, dried (and fresh) fish, etc in large quantities (usually Chinese) after ticking "no" to "any food?". What surprises me is how low the fines are for this sort of smuggling, usually around 100-300 AUD. I'd nail for at least a thousand. Word would get around.

This latest scheme is just for internal flights. What could go wrong, other than spreading some plant disease or pest just around Thailand rather than world wide?

[spidermike007]

Most nations do not allow the importation of fresh fruit. Does the fact that it was sealed by department of internal trade mean anything other than allowing the fruit on the flight? And carry on restrictions still apply. Unless the Thai ministries have made a deal with all airlines of the world, to make an exception for their amazing fruit. 

[Srikcir]

39 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Most nations do not allow the importation of fresh fruit. Does the fact that it was sealed by department of internal trade mean anything other than allowing the fruit on the flight? And carry on restrictions still apply. Unless the Thai ministries have made a deal with all airlines of the world, to make an exception for their amazing fruit. 

I had the same thought.

Maybe this packaged fruit deal will only be accepted on domestic flights as the deal is with Thailand-based carriers - no foreign carriers are mentioned. That would be consistent with the purpose of the deal which is to increase domestic prices by reducing the domestic inventory.

[wavodavo]

5 hours ago, highonthai said:

Durian included? The wife will be ecstatic!

Yeah the planes will smell like perfume !!!

[trainman34014]

Another doomed idea from the 'Brains of Bangkok' Dep't !

[natway09]

Australia & NZ bound travelers,, DON'T EVEN TRY

[ylmiri]

22 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Australia & NZ bound travelers,, DON'T EVEN TRY

Yes, must agree with you. All your lovely fruits will end up in the incinerator .

Ozzie and NZ just don't want any plant diseases to wipe out their agricultural farms. They are not paranoia , it will happen if you not careful by then it's too late . You will busy for nothing.

[Justgrazing]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

to allow passengers to carry a maximum of 20 kilograms of fresh fruit on individual flights free of charge. The measure is intended to help reduce the surplus of fresh fruit currently being produced

Recipe for in cabin punch ups when someone drops 20kg of Durian on yer head getting it out of the overhead locker ..

Overproduction ? Mulch the surplus down , distill it then everyone can get plastered and forget about having too much .. 

[Burma Bill]

6 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

So, the scenario will roll out something like this...........

Check in with a budget airline.........sorry you are 5 kgs overweight on your check in luggage.........x amount surcharge......then, before boarding you are offered an additional 20 kgs. of fruit, on top of your 7 kgs. hand luggage. Multiply that by say 150 passengers, and you have an additional 3,000 kgs of hand luggage on the flight. Where will they put all this fruit, ..stack it in the toilets I presume. 

My thoughts as well. I regularly fly with Air Asia and in my experience, the overhead lockers are already packed tight with over-weight and over-sized back packs and hand baggage so where are boxes of fruit going to be stored? I can foresee many frustrated passengers arguing with cabin crew! If Durian fruit was stored in the "loo" it will probably trigger the smoke alarm!!

[balo]

7 hours ago, Estrada said:

Australia, Japan and a number of other countries, do not allow passengers to import fruit due to pest control. I also doubt whether airlines will allow Durian.

Domestic flights only, so nothing to worry about legally. 
My only question is how they can allow 20 kilo of fruit to check in with the passenger? 


 

[Thechook]

So is that 20kgs of extra carry on luggage per person.  Family of 4 could shove an extra 80 kilos up top.  There is barely enough room in the overhead lockers now