by leah

 

Nok Air flew from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand for the final time yesterday, bidding farewell to the route for good. The province, home to the popular backpacker town Pai, is now only accessible by road since Nok Air was the only airline servicing the airport commercially.

Governor of Mae Hong Son province Chettha Mosikarat, Tourism Authority of Thailand officials, and Mae Hong Son Airport staff welcomed 84 passengers and handed out souvenirs as they stepped off the plane yesterday.

The airline said they can no longer fly the Don Mueang – Mae Hong Son route because they are bidding farewell their fleet of Q400 aircraft (86-seat turboprops) and swapping them for Boeing 787-800 jets (189 seaters).

 

Senior President of the Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce, Chanakhet Boonyakhan, said that a 737-800 jet could land on the runway at Mae Hong Son Airport, which is 30 metres by 2000 metres. After all, Thai Airways used to fly a 747-400 aircraft, another large jet, to Mae Hong Son with no problem.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transport/nok-air-makes-final-flight-to-mae-hong-son-in-northern-thailand

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-04-20

 

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Bit sad really. 

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

Senior President of the Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce, Chanakhet Boonyakhan, said that a 737-800 jet could land on the runway at Mae Hong Son Airport, which is 30 metres by 2000 metres.

Landing maybe. But from numbers found on the net it's not long enough for takeoff (of course assuming full load).

 

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

After all, Thai Airways used to fly a 747-400 aircraft, another large jet, to Mae Hong Son with no problem.

Interesting statement. Could TG afford to fly half empty 747?

37 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Landing maybe. But from numbers found on the net it's not long enough for takeoff (of course assuming full load).

 

Interesting statement. Could TG afford to fly half empty 747?

Is there room to add another 200m?

Does this mean there are no airlines that fly to Mae Hong Song at all? I'd like to take a trip from Chiang Mai and honestly the drive there is long enough to warrant a flight.

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

Does this mean there are no airlines that fly to Mae Hong Song at all?

Sadly, at the moment "yes". In past years, turbo prop planes flew from Chiang Mai (CNX) ) to Mae Hong Son (HGN) operated by Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air and Kan Air (which also flew to Pai). Currently there are no longer any flights, including to Bangkok. Perhaps the proposed new Thai regional airline M-Landarch with its Cessna fleet could offer flights along with its routes to the southern provinces.

Yes, the journey by the northern or southern circular roads from CM take almost a day, whilst by air over the mountains is around 35 minutes!! 

Edited April 20, 20233 yr by Burma Bill
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