Bangkok Airways Moots the Expansion of International Operations
Bangkok Airways, the country’s largest privately owned carrier, plans to turn Samui Airport into Thailand’s second international air hub after Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The plan which falls under Bangkok Airways’ growth strategy calls for the airline to launch more direct medium-haul routes international flights through the resort airport.
Put forward as possible new medium haul destinations from Samui Airport are Dubai, Shanghai, Bali and Kuala Lumpur. The airline already has scheduled flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.
Instrumental to the launch of the direct international flights from Samui is the arrival this year of additional A319s.
[Pictured: The key to route expansion for Bangkok Airways is fleet augmentation.]
The first of the six A3l9s ordered by Bangkok Airways is already in service operating while three more aircraft are due for delivery this year. The remaining two aircraft are expected to join the fleet before the end of next year.
Consequently, the definite launch dates for any new international flights have yet to be decided but it’s unlikely to be in the very near future, said a spokesperson for the carrier.
The bulk of Bangkok Airways’ flights originate from Suvarnabhumi Airport with substantial passenger traffic between Bangkok and Samui. Bangkok Airways carries about 600,000 passengers a year through Samui Airport.
Although it serves a number of international flights, Samui Airport is classified as a domestic airport, flying mostly foreign tourists from the capital to the popular resort island.
In addition to Bangkok Airways’ own international services, Samui Airport serves a handful of international flights from Malaysia operated by the low cost carrier Firefly and the Selangor-based Berjaya Air.
Additional international and domestic services are constrained by two factors. Environmental restrictions have been placed on the number of flights allowed into the airport. Currently a total of 36 fights per day are allowed.
[Pictured: The new passenger terminal at Samui Airport could is expected to serve more international flights in the future.]
Bangkok Airways is nonetheless eager to make Samui Airport its second traffic base and further utilise the airport’s $17.6 million passenger terminal that was completed early last year.
The new terminal is four times larger than the old one and can handle 16,000 passengers a day.
It was designed to serve the anticipated surge in foreign tourist traffic to the resort island over the next 10 years.
A Report by Thomas E King
John Alwyn-Jones
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