Samui Airport To Become Second International Flight Hub

[webfact]

Samui airport to become second international flight hub

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Airways, the country's largest privately owned carrier, plans to turn Samui Airport into a second international air hub after Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in the next one or two years.

The airline would launch more direct international flights for medium-haul routes through the small resort airport. The plan falls under Bangkok Airways' growth plan and the mandate of the Samui Property Fund.

Also in the pipeline are plans to offer direct flights from Samui to Dubai, Shanghai, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur. The airline already has scheduled flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Being instrumental to the launch of the direct international flights from Samui is the arrival this year of additional A319s boost capacity for the longer flights, said Bangkok Airways vice-president M.L. Nandhika Varavan.

The first of the six A319s that Bangkok Airways has ordered is already operating, while three more are due for delivery this year with the rest gradually joining the fleet until Nov 2009.

"The definite launching dates of these international flights has yet to be decided, but are unlikely in the very near future," M.L. Nandhika said. That depends on the four-year marketing plan Bangkok Airways is finalising, she added.

The bulk of Bangkok Airways' flights originate from Suvarnabhumi and a substantial number of its passenger traffic is between Bangkok and Samui. Bangkok Airways carries about 600,000 passengers a year through Samui Airport.

With a limited number of international flights, Samui Airport is largely classified as a domestic airport, flying mostly foreign tourists from Bangkok to Samui.Aside from Bangkok Airways' own international-bound services, Samui serves a handful of international flights from Malaysia by the low cost carrier Firefly and Selangor-based Berjaya Air.

Part of the problem is environmental restrictions on the number of flights and operating hours, with a total of 36 flights per day currently allowed.

But Bangkok Airways is eager to make Samui Airport its second traffic base to support the airport's new 500-million-baht passenger terminal that was completed early last year.

The new terminal is four times larger than the old one and can handle 16,000 passengers a day. It is intended to cope with surging foreign tourist traffic to the island over the next 10-years.

source: www.bangkokbestflights.com

--2010-04-01

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[bkkjames]

I stopped reading the article after it said #2 after Swampy. What happened to Phuket and Chiang Mai airports? OIC, not BK Air owned like Samui, don't count I guess. What's next Ko Chang #3

[Wolfie]

I didnt think Samui airport had a runway long enough to handle some of the larger airplanes?

[CNF55]

They are talking about making it the second hub for Bangkok Airways - nothing to do with other international airlines and bigger airplanes.

[bkkjames]

They are talking about making it the second hub for Bangkok Airways - nothing to do with other international airlines and bigger airplanes.

Thanks for reading the article for me. I take it all back. It already is an International Hub with flights from SG and HK I believe. Ok not a hub that one could really hang a TAT slogan on, but hub none the less.

[smokie36]

Perhaps Bangkok Airways are not content to fleece us with the flights only to Bangkok and Phuket. Return to Duvai for 100000 Baht anyone?

Free stale chicken sandwich provided! Award winning airline!

Come and visit Samui the tropical paradise for plane spotters.....

[samui34samui]

April 1st?

[PoorSucker]

April 1st?

[Soutpeel]

I stopped reading at the word "Hub"

[samui34samui]

Thank you, thank you..

April 1st?

[goldfinger]

....", while three more are due for delivery this year with the rest gradually joining the fleet until Nov 2009.....

????????????? 2009 ???????????

[screamingeagle]

APRIL FOOL

[britadders28]

I stopped reading the article after it said #2 after Swampy. What happened to Phuket and Chiang Mai airports? OIC, not BK Air owned like Samui, don't count I guess. What's next Ko Chang #3

Samui dont make me laugh, 4500 baht one way to bkk, why when you can get ferry to suranthani and fly airasia to bkk total cost 1500-2000

small run way, not safe due to built like in a valley, small, april fools joke right????

[geriatrickid]

I've said it before but the airport is beautiful and pleasure. It is clean, airy and relaxing.

Note that Bangkok Airways recently signed a code sharing agreement with EVA Airways. I wouldn't be surprised to see a broadened agreement with EVA.

The downside is that the residents of Samui get to hear more jets.

[reallyok]

I stopped reading the article after it said #2 after Swampy. What happened to Phuket and Chiang Mai airports? OIC, not BK Air owned like Samui, don't count I guess. What's next Ko Chang #3

Not really good news for Samui. Bangkok Air already control movements to benifit themselves. Tried to get a flight to BKK with Thai Air, they are fully booked for next 2 months and cannot get extra flights from Bangkok air. I will have to go to Suratthani airport or use Bangkok Air at inflated prices. This is what happens when a company has a monopoly. Yes its their airport, but about time they got a 'shake up' when are the govt going to build that new airport. Till then, Samui will stagnate.

[cuturhair]

This is strange, just earlier I read this article, where it stated that Bangkok Airways refused to add more flights to Samui due to environmental reasons, now they want to make it a second hub?

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/touris...or-more-flights

It may be an April 1st joke, but the report references another blog, where the story was posted on the 31st of March.

[landofthefree]

They are talking about making it the second hub for Bangkok Airways - nothing to do with other international airlines and bigger airplanes.

Remember the date...April 1st .............April fools day!!!!!!!!!

[enerzne]

okay!!!

[BigC]

i liv e on samui. i have given up flying from samui bangkok airways airport the prices are just stupid.

don't care where they fly to the prices just make the whole journey meaningless. the govement should put a cap on there manolply

[thaibeachlovers]

I gave up staying at Chaweng Beach years ago, as it is impossible to realax for all the bl**dy planes landing.

The best thing that could happen to Samui airport is that a very large hole would open under it, as in "Carrie", and swallow it up!

If there is any sense in the world, the airport will be closed, and a high speed hydrofoil boat service will start, but it's Thailand, so pigs will fly first!

[Boater]

ok, its now April the 4th, Topic is not shut down..., could this be true???