Thai AirAsia to reduce flights in low season

CEO Tassapon Beileveld said the airline would reduce the number of domestic flights between Bangkok and Hat Yai, from the current six times a day to five.

Meanwhile, the budget airline will cut the frequency of Bangkok-to-Chiang Rai flights from four a day to three, Bangkok to Phuket from eight to six and Bangkok to Krabi from three to two.

Tassapon said because the number of passengers over the next three months would drop, the company decided to revise operations. However, the airline will resume full services in October, which is the beginning of the high season.

He said the airline has added a fuel surcharge of Bt50 and will maintain this rate during the coming low season. It has been charging Bt50 per bag of checked luggage.

The airline said the average load factor during the first four months of this year was 78 per cent and that it expected to serve 4.6 million passengers this year.

Thai AirAsia is also planning to cut flights to Burma from seven flights a week to three in the next two weeks in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.