Bangkok Airways wants to manage 26 provincial Thai airports

BANGKOK: -- Privately-owned Bangkok Airways president Dr. Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth said Monday that the Thai government should have a clear-cut policy regarding the management of the country's 26 provincial airports in future.

The regional and provincial airports are now under the supervision of the Transport Ministry's Aviation Department.

Suggesting that a bidding ought to be conducted, Dr. Prasert said the government should allow only a single private operator to administer the 26 airports.

If the government has a clear-cut policy, Bangkok Airways will participate in such a bidding, he said.

Touching on the current soaring oil prices and fierce competition among air-carriers, Dr. Prasert said his airline's fuel costs have now jumped to 35 per cent from 11 per cent before.

He said airline ticket prices, now under price-controls by the government, which he said are too low and should be increased in line with the market mechanisms.

The number of airline travelers could fall due to varied negative factors, including domestic political uncertainties and a sharp increase in goods prices, Dr. Prasert said.

-- TNA 2008-05-19

i hope this doesnt happen! Bangkok Airways already have the monoply of Samui, and have you seen the prices they charge!!!

i hope this doesnt happen! Bangkok Airways already have the monoply of Samui, and have you seen the prices they charge!!!

I second that.

Monopolies, in any country, are not in the interests of the people at large.

Decidedly a bad move in the interests of general aviation in Thailand. Bangkok Airways are not welcoming hosts to private planes in Sukhothai or Samui.

Not surprising.

All airlines are getting backed up against a wall that is marked "Declining Demand".

("Demand" being the amount of business available from those who can afford to pay the going rate for the product, and wish to use it).

So here is one airline that would like to diversify a bit and get some extra, slightly-different business from just 'bums on airborne seats'.

Earlier this week, the mighty BA announced that it was preparing for recession. It was careful to use the blandest, least-scary of phraseology, such as 'concentrating on non-discretionary passengers'----but that is just saying that 'the only demand will be from those who need to fly; we don't expect tourism to hold up'. Buried in the announcement was the fact that BA may well not take up its options to buy new planes from Boeing and Airbus.

It is going to be from amongst the citizens of oil-exporting nations that 'demand' for air flights will be found; not from the citizens of industrialised nations, as in the past few decades. The latter's household budgets have rising prices for other things like food and heating bills that are squeezing out 'discretionary spending'.

Diversifying is one thing,

wanting a monopoly is quite another.

i hope this doesnt happen! Bangkok Airways already have the monoply of Samui, and have you seen the prices they charge!!!

I think now with TG flying in to USM twice a day, the prices got down a lot and competition was needed on that sector. I have seen 4000 THB Return Tickets these days. Not to bad compared to the 9200 THB previously.

Operating costs are increasing, demand is declining, airlines are regrouping ... Bangkok Airways move is a good sign as it will force Thai inter to become a little more aware of their 'monopolistic' behavior in every sector of this activity ...