BANGKOK, 7 June 2013: Airlines continue to add services between
Myanmar and its ASEAN neighbours to capitalise on the country’s economic
and tourism boom.
Asia Wings Airways told TTR Weekly on the sidelines of the
Thailand Travel Mart at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, yesterday, it will
start its first regional service, 25 June, on the Yangon-Chiang Mai
route, a twice weekly flight complementing its sister carrier Air Bagan
that also flies the route twice weekly.
Other regional destinations are planned for October.
“We are planning more regional services this October but it depends
on the readiness of our reservations system to secure overseas
bookings,” said Asian Wings Airways marketing and reservations manager,
Cho Mar Nwe.
Eventually, it plans to fly from Yangon to Bangkok, Phuket, Seoul,
Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and from Mandalay to Chiang Mai,
Gaya and Kunming.
But expansion to regional destinations will require more aircraft.
Currently it has three ATR72s and a single Airbus A321. It plans to add
one more ATR and a A321.
But considering its ambitious plans to add nine more regional routes,
in addition to its Chiang Mai service, it will require more aircraft to
sustain reliable on-time services.
“We need to act quickly to catch up with competitors who are
expanding services to Myanmar from Thailand, China, Korea,” said Ms Cho
Mar Nwe.
Air Bagan is also in the process of wrapping up its three-year
business plan due to be implemented this October. There is a possibility
it will resume services to Bangkok and Phuket from Yangon and also
between Mandalay and Chiang Mai. It is operating charter flights, twice
weekly between Yangon and Chiang Mai.
Air Mandalay plans to resume services to Thailand this coming winter
schedule. It is considering two flights a week from Mandalay to Chiang
Mai and a single weekly flight to Phuket. The carrier has three aircraft
(two ATR72s and a ATR42). It will add two more ATRs ahead of the
Southeast Asia Games that will be held in December in the capital, Nay
Pyi Taw.
Earlier, AirAsia Group CEO, Tony Fernandes, announced during the
World Economic Forum held at Nay Pyi Taw that Thai AirAsia will commence
a daily flight from Bangkok to Myanmar’s capital this October. It will
be the first regional airline to serve Nay Pyi Taw.
All Nippon Airways, China Southern Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines
all operate charter flights to the capital as a service for businessmen
and diplomats who need to meet with government officials in the capital.
“Myanmar will host the 27th SEA Games in December. Also Myanmar takes
the ASEAN chair in 2014, and the ASEAN Economic Community will be
launched in late 2015… there will be tremendous demand to connect the
capital city to the rest of the world and Bangkok is a perfect place to
start”, said Mr Fernandes.
Thai AirAsia already flies from Bangkok to Yangon and Mandalay.
Bangkok Airways will kick off services between Bangkok and Mandalay from 16 September.
Nok Air has also expressed interest in flying from the border town of
Mae Sot district to Mawlamyine a coastal town in southern Myanmar. It
takes up to nine hours to reach Mawlamyine by car from Mae Sot on a
bumpy road while flight time will be just 20 minutes. The airline also
plans to introduce a Bangkok-Yangon route.
THAI Smile started flights to Mandalay from Bangkok mid April.
source: TTR Weekly
No comments:
Post a Comment