Starting on December 21, Thai AirAsia will operate direct flights from Phuket to Udon Thani four times a week. Utilising a 180-seat Boeing A320, the service aims to boost tourism between the South and the Northeast.
The airline is offering an introductory rate of Bt690, excluding airport tax. It hopes to encourage travellers from southern Thailand to visit the Northeast, playing up the region's access to destinations in Laos.
Chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said the service would gain Thai AirAsia both Thai and foreign passengers.
The carrier has developed Phuket as its domestic hub linking local and overseas routes, including those bound for Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta and Medan. A Phuket-Chiang Mai route is also planned.
Theera Tunglakmunkhong, president of the Udon Thani Chamber of Commerce, said the new service would benefit business in the province and boost travel between the two regions.
The private sector had urged Thai AirAsia to add the Phuket-Udon Thani for some time, he said.
Theera said Udon Thani Airport served as a gateway to Laos. Lao Airlines operates three daily flights between Udon Thani and Vientiane.
However, Vietnam Airlines has scrapped a plan to launch a Hanoi-Udon Thani route due to the global economic crisis and the recent depreciation of Vietnam's currency, the dong.
Theera remained upbeat, saying, "I believe Udon Thani will become a major tourist destination on the back of the tourism booms in neighbouring countries."
Meanwhile, SGA Airlines, a regional carrier based in the North, has launched a daily service from Chiang Mai to Udon Thani, using a 33-seat SAAB340.
