Published: 10/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Business
Qatar Airways is expanding its footprint in Thailand by introducing Phuket as its second destination, adding a third non-stop flight from Doha to Bangkok and extending its services from the Thai capital to Vietnam.
That marks a big step forward for the flag carrier of Qatar in a move seen as an attempt to catch up with two other major Middle Eastern airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airways, which have already established firm footholds in Thailand.
Qatar Airways on Oct 12 will phase in Phuket to its growing network with a daily flight operated via Kuala Lumpur, becoming the first Middle East carrier to serve the southern Thai resort island.
Beginning on Nov 1, Qatar Airways will also begin flights from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, with three flights and four flights a week, respectively.
Also on Nov 1, Qatar Airways, one of the few airlines recognised with five-star service status, will introduce a third daily non-stop service between the Thai and Qatari capitals.
Joe Rajadurai, Qatar Airways’ manager for Thailand, Cambodia and Burma, said yesterday the expansion was meant to cash in on the increasing traffic demand in Thailand, which along with Asia in general is seeing roughly an annual 10% growth rate.
Qatar Airways, which started flying to Bangkok from Doha in 2001, will use high-capacity wide-body jets on flights through Thailand _ with B777-300ERs for Bangkok-Doha, A330-300s for flights to Phuket and services from Bangkok to the two Vietnamese cities.
Unlike Emirates and Etihad, which focus on offering their services to Thailand only through Bangkok, Qatar Airways is expanding beyond the Thai capital by putting Phuket and Vietnam through its Thai connection.
Adding Phuket and connecting Bangkok with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be a boon to tourism, as they will enable Qatar Airways to bring tourists from its global network, now covering over 90 destinations, to this part of the world, said the Sri Lankan-born executive.
Neither Emirates nor Etihad is serving Vietnam, a fast-growing market in Asia, while Qatar Airways has already been flying from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City.
Emirates and Etihad are using their code-share agreements with Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways to transfer their passengers to Phuket and other major Thai cities.
As part of its effort to boost the presence in Thailand, Qatar Airways has earmarked a “significantly” bigger budget for advertising and promoting the airline’s brand awareness in the kingdom while appointing a new public relation agency in Thailand, according to Mr Rajadurai.
Thailand’s political turmoil around May and June only affected Qatar Airways for only a few weeks, and the airline has since registered robust growth in traffic with up to 30-40% of its total passengers through Thailand being Thai nationals, he added.
*Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com *