Clearing the Air

Below is information on relief flights provided by airlines following the weeklong closure of Thailand's two main air¬ports.

Bangkok Airways has launched twicedaily special flights between Hua Hin and Samui from today until further notice to serve passengers going to Singapore or Hong Kong via Samui.

The departure times are: Hua Hin-Samui, 2pm and 5pm; Samui-Singapore, 4.35pm and 8.30pm; Samui-Hong Kong, 10pm and 11.35am; Hong Kong-Samui, 5.05pm and 4am; Singapore-Samui, 8.10pm and 1.30am; and Samui-Hua Hin, 3.30pm and 6.30pm.

A complimentary transfer service will leave Bangkok Airways' head office (99 VibhavadiRangsit Road) four hours prior to departure.

The airline is also operating flights from Utapao to Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, the Maldives, Guilin, Samui and Phuket.

For more information, call 1771 or (02) 265 8777 or log on www.bangkokair.com.

Qantas yesterday announced it would operate a second relief flight between Phuket and Singapore early tomorrow. The first relief flight leaves tonight.

Qantas will operate a 297seat A330300 service for both flights. Passengers on these flights will be bussed from Bangkok to Phuket and then be booked on the first available Qantas and British Airways flights to Australia and the UK.

Jetstar will operate its scheduled MelbourneBangkok service tomorrow via Phuket, with passengers bussed between Phuket and Bangkok, and con¬tinue to operate its scheduled thriceweekly SydneyPhuket services.

Until further notice, Qantas's sched¬uled Bangkok services will continue to operate via Singapore.

PB Air is temporarily stationing its aircraft, maintenance crew, pilots and cabin crew at Hua Hin Airport from yes¬terday. The airline has been contacted by several airlines as well as interna¬tional charter companies to bring pas¬sengers to a range of regional destina¬tions.

The fleet of PBair consists of two modern Embraer ERJ145LR regional jets with an alleconomy seating capac¬ity of 50. Regional destinations such as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore can be serviced.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will arrange more flights from Utapao Airport, they said in separate statements yesterday. Japan Air will add one flight to Narita and another to Osaka's Kansai airport from Utapao. All Nippon will also arrange a flight to Narita.

Singapore Airlines will continue its twicedaily services from Utapao until tomorrow, chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng said.

Tiger Airways, a Singaporebased discount carrier partly owned by Singapore Air, will operate three addi¬tional flights tomorrow between Singapore and Phuket. That is on top of the two daily scheduled flights it offers, the carrier said.

Air France/KLM is providing a relief flight from Phuket today. A Boeing 747400 operated by Air France will depart at 23.30pm, arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle at 05.50am (France time) tomor¬row.

The company also operated a KLM relief flight from Phuket to Amsterdam yesterday.

Germany plans to repatriate citizens stranded in Thailand by sending aircraft to Utapao Airport. The flights from Germany will take thousands of European tourists still stranded here.

It is understood that the European Union will follow with a similar plan, reminiscent of the evacuation flights during the December 2004 tsunami.

LTU succeeded in flying its first group from Thailand to Germany since the closure of Suvarnabhumi. It is oper¬ating daily flights from Utapao.