Air Shuttle Launched In Phuket

[george]

Air shuttle launched in Phuket

PHUKET: -- A new seaplane service has officially been launched in Thailand, linking Phuket with Phi Phi Island, Krabi and Koh Lanta.

The service, run by Destination Air Shuttle and the country's only seaplane shuttle service, will be leaving from Phuket every two hours and providing swift travel to the door of most of the major hotels and resorts in the region.

While previously travel to resorts within the Andaman region would have involved half-day long overland journeys, the flying time to Koh Phi Phi is less than 13 minutes by the seaplane, while Krabi can be reached in 20 minutes and Koh Lanta in half an hour.

Members of the local tourist industry have welcomed the initiative as excellent news for the local economy, as well as for tourists.

The CEO and president of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Peter de Jong, said: 'The Thai Andaman region already enjoys international and domestic accessibility via Phuket International Airport, however, Destination Air Shuttle's local service will distribute the benefits of international and domestic travel much more broadly.'

International passengers will be able to transfer directly onto the service from Phuket, thereby minimising transfer times to their holiday destinations.

--Opodo.com 2007-02-13