BANGKOK, 23 September 2010 – Thai Air Asia is negotiating time slots to commence a daily service between Phuket and Bali the airline reported Wednesday.
If talks conclude successfully, the low-cost airline should be able to start a service in December to catch peak season traffic to both destinations.
Also, after establishing a hub in Phuket, earlier this year, there are now plans to open a hub in Chiang Mai starting with a daily flight each to Hat Yai and Singapore.
http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Bali.jpgOther Thai airlines have so far hesitated to adopt secondary hubs relying on a single base at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The jury is still on out on whether the concept works in the long-run, but Thai AirAsia is winning friends in Phuket for trying.
Thai Airasia commercial director, Santisuk Klongchaiya, said the Phuket-Bali service was waiting for documentation approval by Indonesia’s aviation department.
“We do not know if we have the green light yet, but systems are in place to begin a service as early as this December to catch high season traffic demand over Christmas and New Year.”
There are no immediate plans to add other services out of Phuket. The resumption of Phuket-Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket-Medan is unlikely based on current traffic demand.
But on the domestic scene the hub concept has been more successful. Recently, the airline kicked off a second service between the south and the northeast (Phuket-Ubon Ratchathani) and Mr Santisuk reported the route is gaining traffic.
While network expansion in Phuket slows down, the airline says it will go ahead and base aircraft in Chiang Mai and operate flights from there, possibly in the first quarter of 2011, beginning with services to Hat Yai and Singapore on a daily basis.
Silk Air operates four-weekly services between Chiang Mai and Singapore, while its mother company, AirAsia, offers a daily service from the northern capital to Kuala Lumpur.
Out of its Bangkok hub, the long awaited Indian services will debut with daily services in November starting with Delhi and Kolkata. The launch date will be confirmed in October.
Another two Indian cities (Mumbai and Hyderabad) are on the back burner until marketing and operational feedback is evaluated.
Thai AirAsia’s fleet now comprises of 19 new Airbus A320s with an average age of a little over a year. Next year, two more A320s will join the fleet. The airline plans to have 40 A320s by 2014.
In addition, Mr Santisuk reconfirmed Thai AirAsia should reach its target of 6.2 million passengers based on year-to-date uplift of around 4.8 million.
Bron: TTRweekly.
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