Cathay banks on Suvarnabhumi
Cathay Pacific Airways hopes the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport will help the airline expand both its passenger and cargo network in the long term.
CEO Philip Chen believes the new airport will boost the number of travellers between Bangkok and Hong Kong as well as increase its cargo business. However, the carrier will not add any flights between the two cities this year. Cathay Pacific, which has been operating in Thailand for 50 years, operates 53 flights per week out of Bangkok, mostly to Hong Kong. Its affiliated cargo airline, Air Hong Kong, services 10 flights a week between Thailand and Hong Kong. Chen cited many minor technical problems with the opening of Suvarnabhumi, but they are expected to be solved soon. One executive said the airline had learned about these types of problem eight years ago when the new Hong Kong airport opened. Cathay Pacific yesterday opened a first- and business-class lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Decorated with warm contemporary colours and providing a sense of privacy, it is equipped with laptop connections for broadband, modem and wireless Internet access. "We know that a lounge is one of the most important things for travellers, so we made it good," said Chen. "The new lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport is one of the most modern places, the same as in Hong Kong." Suchat Sritama The Nation
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