AirAsia’s ‘Phuket Air Hub’ Ready For Takeoff

[george]

AirAsia’s ‘Phuket Air Hub’ ready for takeoff

Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijileveld presents a model aircraft

to Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop as part of the festivities.

Thai AirAsia flight crew pose for a group photo at the fair.

PATONG, PHUKET: -- Thai AirAsia has geared up for the establishment of Phuket as a new regional air hub next month with its “AirAsia Loves Phuket Fair”, which ends at Jungceylon today.

Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijileveld visited the fair yesterday, presenting a model AirAsia aircraft to Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop as part of the festivities.

November 15 has been designated as the official launch of the ‘Phuket air hub’ project, which is hoped will lift the annual number of tourists to Phuket above the six-million mark for the first time.

“In addition to our daily flights to Singapore, Thai AirAsia’s Phuket hub will operate direct flights to Hong Kong, Jakarta and many other destinations soon,” Mr Tassapon said.

There has also been a strong response to the low-cost carrier’s launch of direct flights on its newly-announced Phuket-Hong Kong route, Mr Tassapon said.

AirAsia offered passengers booking online 20,000 deeply discounted seats on the route starting on October 5.

“Passengers have been paying a lot of attention and giving us good feedback,” he said.

Special discounts were also offered at the fair, located at Jungceylon’s Silang Boulevard.

As part of the Phuket air hub project, two Airbus A320 aircraft with 180-seat capacities will be permanently stationed at Phuket International Airport.

The first will arrive in time for the November 15 launch and the second will arrive in December, he said.

About 200 additional ground staff will also be added to support operations, he said.

Thai AirAsia Phuket station manager Arun Lilapantisitti said the first aircraft will service Hong Kong and Jakarta routes, while the second will service Medan in Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Flight crews will initially be stationed in Phuket on two-week revolving schedules, but could be permanently stationed in Phuket in the future, he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-15

[mrtoad]

Another "Hub" announcement - how predictable.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

First ladyboy working as Air asia hostess ?

:-)

[Chang_paarp]

First ladyboy working as Air asia hostess ?

:-)

First used in PR photos we have noticed.

Edit for spelling

Edited October 15, 2009 by Chang_paarp

[chiang mai]

Am I wrong in thinking that an adjoining country recently turned down the use of their capital's airport by AirAsiaX on the basis that AirAsia, the parent company, had not paid hub fees totaling close to a billion Baht?

[madmitch]

Am I wrong in thinking that an adjoining country recently turned down the use of their capital's airport by AirAsiaX on the basis that AirAsia, the parent company, had not paid hub fees totaling close to a billion Baht?

No idea but I can't see Air Asia X using Phnom Penh, Vientiane or Yangon (is it still the capital). Or do you mean adjoining Malaysia, i.e. Thailand?

[chiang mai]

Am I wrong in thinking that an adjoining country recently turned down the use of their capital's airport by AirAsiaX on the basis that AirAsia, the parent company, had not paid hub fees totaling close to a billion Baht?

No idea but I can't see Air Asia X using Phnom Penh, Vientiane or Yangon (is it still the capital). Or do you mean adjoining Malaysia, i.e. Thailand?

As I recall AirAsia applied to have a sister airline, AirAsiaX registered to fly between KL and Australia but the application was rejected. The parent company, AirAsia, apparently had failed to settle their landing and take off bills with KL airport and settlement of those bills was a pre-requisite, some 700million baht was the number I seem to remember and it wasn't paid so hub status was denied. More clues below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirAsia_X

Edited October 15, 2009 by chiang mai

[geriatrickid]

First ladyboy working as Air asia hostess ? :-)

I noticed that too. Perhaps it is 2 hubs for the price of 1? The sex reassignment hub and a hub of really crappy air travel.

So does this mean that the previous announcements that Thailand was targeting upscale tourists has been abandoned in favour of the cheap package visitors?

I'm all in favour of low cost airlines and I have used them on short flights. However, I don't see it working well on longer asian flights. SQ has already made several public statements as to how it feels about certain low cost airlines and how the costs are kept low. I think SQ's points on service, maintenance, support etc. are valid. SQ's position is shared my Malaysian Airlines System and Cathay as well, so I don't think it's sour grapes.

Is this Phuket local governor so desperate for a headline that he hasn't approached NokAir, or SilkAir on this subject? Even nasty JetStar might do a better job of tying in connections.

This governor hasn't done much on crime, hasn't made much of an effort on the tourist scam and taxi crackdowns he promised but he can pose for a phota with Air Anus Asia. Whoopie dee doo

[simon43]

Well, good news for Phuket and tourism, since new routes to Indonesia and other destinations will be available.

My contact in Phuket told me that Patong is very quiet, still very few tourists...

Simon

[madmitch]

Am I wrong in thinking that an adjoining country recently turned down the use of their capital's airport by AirAsiaX on the basis that AirAsia, the parent company, had not paid hub fees totaling close to a billion Baht?

No idea but I can't see Air Asia X using Phnom Penh, Vientiane or Yangon (is it still the capital). Or do you mean adjoining Malaysia, i.e. Thailand?

As I recall AirAsia applied to have a sister airline, AirAsiaX registered to fly between KL and Australia but the application was rejected. The parent company, AirAsia, apparently had failed to settle their landing and take off bills with KL airport and settlement of those bills was a pre-requisite, some 700million baht was the number I seem to remember and it wasn't paid so hub status was denied. More clues below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirAsia_X

Hadn't read that. Thank you for the link. It's only two routes denied but there does seem to be a dispute of some sort. KLLCC is still their hub, however. Not a very nice terminal but slowly improving.

[bkkdawg]

First ladyboy working as Air asia hostess ?

:-)

Yea that's what I thought : ) definitely questionable.