The airline is operating three Phuket-Sydney flights a week, and is scheduled to start a thrice-weekly Bangkok-Melbourne service on November 23.

Jetstar expects to handle 180,000 passengers on its Thai routes this year, which it sees climbing to 540,000 in three years.

Chief executive officer Alan Joyce said the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport would be the key factor in achieving the projected passenger numbers. The low-cost terminal being studied for Suvarnabhumi would also boost business.

He said the overall number of flyers using low-cost carriers in Thailand could reach 7 million next year.

"The opening of the new airport here is beneficial for our business and the aviation industry as a whole," said Joyce.

The airline was the first foreign airline to land at Suvarnabhumi during yesterday's soft opening of the airport, operating a flight with 160 passengers.

Joyce added that the airline planned to use Bangkok as part of its network expansion. The carrier is likely to link Bangkok with new destinations such as Nagoya in Japan, which Jetstar is set to service in middle of next year. It also plans to fly to Burma soon, probably from Singapore.

Jetstar sees Bangkok as the gateway to Europe in the longer term, by 2010, once new aircraft are delivered.

Jetstar - 100-per-cent owned by Australia's Qantas - is currently offering "Pre-Holiday Specials" to Thailand for a limited period, with bookings to be made by tomorrow.

Jetstar is offering special one-way fares of Bt7,795 on its Bangkok-Melbourne and Phuket-Sydney routes, inclusive of airline surcharges, fees and government taxes (but excluding Bangkok departure tax).

"This offer is a good buy and is in anticipation of the approaching school break in October and the longer Christmas holidays in December," said Joyce.

"These flights will provide an opportunity for Thai holiday-goers and even business people to experience seamless flying, at the same time they will be given a chance to explore every aspect of the continent of Australia and what it has to offer."

Jetstar currently operates a fleet of 23 Airbus A320 aircraft. It is now in the process of upgrading its Air Operator Certificate to operate wide-bodied jet aircraft on international, long-haul routes. It proposes to operate an interim fleet of six-wide body A330-200s before transitioning to a fleet of 12 new Boeing 787 aircraft.

Jetstar's first B787 is scheduled for delivery in August, 2008. The carrier's launch destinations for its long-haul services from Australia include Bangkok, Phuket, Osaka, Ho Chi Minh City, Bali and Honolulu.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation