7 more carriers look to U-tapao Airport

SUCHAT SRITAMA

BANGKOK: At least seven airlines are planning to begin operating at U-tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport to serve tourists and business travellers.

Rear Admiral Worapol Tongpricha, director of U-tapao Airport, said it had received more commercial air traffic since it opened full services.

He said at least seven airlines including Hong Kong Airlines, China Southern, Okay Airways, Emirates, and local operator Pattaya Airlines planned to operate flights into U-tapao Airport.

Hong Kong Airlines plans to operate four fights per week, while China Southern expects to start operations in January. Pattaya Airlines will resume its services. The rest are working on their business plans.

Worapol said Terminal 2 was still undergoing construction at a cost of Bt800 million, but when it is completed next year it will increase annual capacity by a million passengers.

From October last year to last month, the number of passenger rose tenfold thanks to more airlines using the airport.

"We believe that U-tapao can attract more airlines and travellers as its passenger service charge of Bt400 per passenger is lower than Bt700 at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Parking and landing fees are also more than 60 per cent cheaper than at Suvarnabhumi," he said.

Several airlines are already operating scheduled flights at the airport such as Bangkok Airways, Kan Air, and Thai AirAsia. Tassapon Bijleveld, chief executive officer of Thai AirAsia, said the airline inaugurated four new routes yesterday, flying from U-tapao Airport to Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Singapore and Macau.

The airline celebrated the occasion by giving 60 young people from Chiang Mai and Udon Thani their first flight experience, flying them to U-tapao to visit HTMS Chakri Naruebet, the Royal Thai Navy's aircraft carrier.

AirAsia now operates eight routes from U-tapao Airport. It flies to Kuala Lumpur four times weekly, Nanning three times weekly, Nanchang four times, Singapore seven times, Macau seven times, Chiang Mai 10 times, Udon Thani seven times and Hat Yai four times, for a total of 46 flights a week.

U-tapao Airport is AirAsia's fifth flight hub connecting the Eastern region to the rest of Thailand and international destinations, and the airline has noted a strong positive response.

"We are proud to have to started and to be a part of U-tapao Airport's burgeoning vibrancy and ability to welcome commercial air travel. We have stationed two Airbus A320 [aircraft] at U-tapao Airport, which serve a total of eight routes," Tassapon said.

Thai AirAsia expects to serve 14.5 million passengers with a load factor of 82 per cent this year. Next year, the airline hopes to carry 16.5 million passengers with an 82-per-cent load factor.

The airline is scheduled to receive five more aircraft next year, which will help it add two new routes to India and several in the domestic market.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/7-more-carriers-look-to-U-tapao-Airport-30273891.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-28

I think I'll pass on Okay Airways.

Pattaya Airlines??

Just who are all these extra carriers going to be flying in ?

Oh of course, tourism never stops increasing and I do believe the Minister said there would be incentives to make 2016 a bumper year for domestic travel !

Time will tell but failure is rarely reported.

Take them down there if the queues for immigration are shorter at Suvarnabhumi airport , it makes for a win all round ,

too bad they, the powers to be, don't look at flights from KORAT airport , maybe ONE DAY, one day ,one day maybe

Hopefully they'll improve the transport links to/from the airport before the 2nd terminal opens.

Then again, just need more tour buses for the thousands of extra Chinese coming in on the China Southern flights

Hope they consider a Hua Hin Pattaya flight. It makes a lot of sense. Short hop by air. Long haul by land. Probably would be quite a lot of demand too.

I think I'll pass on Okay Airways.

So it's not OK?

dead easy remedy Drop the taxes levy on flight tickets to Utapao which are normally more than the price of the ticket just pay the airfare & tourism will be restored.

I doubt the airport would cope with the rush but it would be interesting

Hope they consider a Hua Hin Pattaya flight. It makes a lot of sense. Short hop by air. Long haul by land. Probably would be quite a lot of demand too.

Kan Air had flights operating between Pattaya and Hua Hin but have now ceased for some reason ?

I think I'll pass on Okay Airways.

So it's not OK?

It's not Okay airways, its okay na airways or You okay airways.

All they have to do is raze Pattaya and build a livable resort on its pathetic ashes

Pattaya Airlines??

Google says "who" also, no mention of them anywhere

Bill Sykes Airlines. Motto is "You got to pick a pocket or two"

I would be happy for direct flights from DXB to UTP..

Kurt

Hope they consider a Hua Hin Pattaya flight. It makes a lot of sense. Short hop by air. Long haul by land. Probably would be quite a lot of demand too.

Kan Air had flights operating between Pattaya and Hua Hin but have now ceased for some reason ?

Maybe Kan can't any more

All they have to do is raze Pattaya and build a livable resort on its pathetic ashes

Ah, another Pattaya basher. I'll ask you the same question I ask the other haters;

If you hate the pace why be active in the Pattaya forum?

I have a feeling you're just like most of the haters - envious of us who live there.

Pattaya Airlines??

Google says "who" also, no mention of them anywhere

Fly Pattaya Air and be blown away!!

All they have to do is raze Pattaya and build a livable resort on its pathetic ashes

Ah, another Pattaya basher. I'll ask you the same question I ask the other haters;

If you hate the pace why be active in the Pattaya forum?

I have a feeling you're just like most of the haters - envious of us who live there.

You must be right. lol

Take them down there if the queues for immigration are shorter at Suvarnabhumi airport , it makes for a win all round ,

too bad they, the powers to be, don't look at flights from KORAT airport , maybe ONE DAY, one day ,one day maybe

Hardly convenient for tourists and a little far from Bangkok.

You would likely pass Don Mueng getting to and from it.

If you see the large tour groups in the Pattaya area you would see why this makes sense.

Sukhumvit Rd could do with an upgrade though, or Hwy 331 (the latter is being widened).

I think I'll pass on Okay Airways.

So it's not OK?

It's not Okay airways, its okay na airways or You okay airways.

Can't wait for Dashit Airways to start!

I was in a room where the formation of Pattaya Airways was being discussed a few years back by some very prominent Pattaya entities, I was starting to think that it would never come to fruition.

All they have to do is raze Pattaya and build a livable resort on its pathetic ashes

Ah, another Pattaya basher. I'll ask you the same question I ask the other haters;

If you hate the pace why be active in the Pattaya forum?

I have a feeling you're just like most of the haters - envious of us who live there.

normally luv ya posts... but this isn't the Pattaya forum? lol

I visit Pattaya regularly and love it so those who don't like it stay away

I spend 1 hour on internal flights and 1 hour in a bloody line to get a Taxi at DM .Was not Swampy the end to this.

I spend 1 hour on internal flights and 1 hour in a bloody line to get a Taxi at DM .Was not Swampy the end to this.

Must have been exceptional. Have arrived at DM at least 10 times in the last year. Average wait 5-10 mins. Worst 20 mins.

Not good but implying one hour is regular - OTT!

You can try the regular roads outside if the queue looks horrendous and if you don't have too much luggage. Look for the Amari Hotel exit in the middle of the west-facing wall of the terminal. There is the multi-lane fast road under the elevated highway, or go all the way to the road outside the Amari.

Air Asia 9 am ish same every time a Holliday jet gets in first .Never thought about Amarin bridge I must admit

I spend 1 hour on internal flights and 1 hour in a bloody line to get a Taxi at DM .Was not Swampy the end to this.

Must have been exceptional. Have arrived at DM at least 10 times in the last year. Average wait 5-10 mins. Worst 20 mins.

Not good but implying one hour is regular - OTT!

You can try the regular roads outside if the queue looks horrendous and if you don't have too much luggage. Look for the Amari Hotel exit in the middle of the west-facing wall of the terminal. There is the multi-lane fast road under the elevated highway, or go all the way to the road outside the Amari.

this is not so much a problem is those damn road works that take YEARS to complete

I spend 1 hour on internal flights and 1 hour in a bloody line to get a Taxi at DM .Was not Swampy the end to this.

It takes about 6 mins to walk out to the road, 30 seconds to get a taxi.

Last time I drove out there for a Bangkok Air flight to pick-up family coming to Pattaya the guards at the front gate wanted my passport! Which I got back later on leaving.

Take them down there if the queues for immigration are shorter at Suvarnabhumi airport , it makes for a win all round ,

too bad they, the powers to be, don't look at flights from KORAT airport , maybe ONE DAY, one day ,one day maybe

Or from Khon Kaen would also be good