Bangkok Airways to launch new routes
Bangkok Airways will commence flying new routes within the next two months, half of them operating from Phuket and Chiang Mai, whose airport costs are lower than at troubled Suvarnabhumi.
The new flights will service Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, while a new Japanese route will open up at the end of the year. The carrier is studying additional destinations in China. Despite the new routes, the company predicted this year's passenger and earnings growth would be below last year's levels. Senior vice president and director Putthipong Prasarttong-osoth said passenger numbers would increase 5 per cent this year - down from last year's growth of 10-15 per cent. He blamed negative news about Thailand. Revenue growth should mirror passenger growth. Bangkok Airways expected total revenues of Bt10 billion this year, down from an original projection of Bt12 billion. The airline earned Bt9 billion last year. However, the average-load factor is expected to increase from 60-70 per cent last year to 65-75 per cent this year. The new routes will see the carrier flying three times a week to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from Bangkok. The service takes off on March 2. The second new route is Bangkok to Pakse in southern Laos, with the first of the twice-weekly flights on April 10. Passengers can also reach Siam Reap in Cambodia from Chiang Mai and Phuket starting in April. The airline will add Fukuoka, Japan, to its itinerary by the end of the year, complementing its existing Bangkok-Hiroshima service.
Suchat Sritama
The Nation
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