An airport cancelled and rescheduled dozens of flights ahead of a floating lantern festival in Thailand.

The Chiang Mai International Airport announced on Monday that it was cancelling 74 flights and rescheduling 96 others to avoid flying lanterns during the Yi Peng Festival on November 15 and 16.

Airport director Ronnakorn Chalermsanyakorn said: 'The aforementioned flight changes and cancellations are expected not to affect our services as passengers were already informed in advance so they can plan their trips accordingly.'

The airport chief added that airport security will be tightened during the festival, with increased patrols in terminals, random luggage checks, random alcohol testing, and parking bans.

Staff will also be dispatched frequently to remove stray floating lanterns that may obstruct the airspace and runway.

Ronnakorn said the airport has coordinated with the local government and organisations to disseminate guidelines on safely releasing flying lanterns for the upcoming festival.

Locals have been warned against releasing lanterns within the airport's red zone, which covers a 3x12 mile (5x19 kilometre) area around the runway.

The Yi Peng Festival, celebrated primarily in northern Thailand, is a festival of lights that usually coincides with the similar Loy Krathong lantern festival in November.

During the event, people release thousands of paper lanterns into the sky, symbolising letting go of misfortunes and making wishes for the future.

Though beautiful, the festivals face criticism for their environmental impact. The release of lanterns and floating baskets called krathongs in waterways often generates significant waste, with the materials sometimes ending up as litter that harms wildlife and pollutes rivers. Additionally, the lanterns pose a fire hazard and can disrupt aviation.