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Low cost powerhouse Air Asia has announced that it will begin direct flights from Phuket to Hong Kong on 15 November. The daily flights are all part of Air Asia’s plan to turn Phuket into a regional hub. The "introductory" price is just 999 Baht (about US$30).
In other Phuket airline news, Bangkok Airways has added a fifth daily Bangkok – Phuket flight. The airline had earlier canceled service to Krabi in the face of increased financial pressures due to the global economy.
It seems like a case of the worst possible timing: launching a new airline in the middle of a global recession. Yet Happy Air is set to launch in October, with daily flights between Phuket and Hat Yai; and four-times weekly flights between Phuket and the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi.
The airline promises a "premium" service, including complimentary champagne and "gourmet sandwiches" in flight, using 34-seat Saab 340A twin turbo-prop aircraft. The web site doesn’t yet take reservations, but expect to pay around 2,500 Baht one-way to Hat Yai, and 4,500 Baht to Langkawi.
More details have emerged on Air Asia’s plans to turn Phuket into one of it’s major hubs. According to Phuket Wan web site, the plan should be realized by the end of the year, and will see the low cost carrier flying from Phuket directly to Ho Chi Minh City, Bali and Medan, among others. The airline would also like to start direct flights between Chiang Mai and Phuket, which would seem to be an under-served route.
Life has been good for Air Asia. While traditional airlines have been struggling, they claimed a 20% increase in passenger loads for the first half of 2009.
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