BkkAirways:Steps into Phuket weekend breach?

[ncr]

From the Nation:

Bangkok Airways to spend over 600 million dollars on aircraft, facilities

Published on Nov 10 , 2005

Thailand's largest private carrier Bangkok Airways said Thursday it will spend 24 billion baht (585 million dollars) to buy new long-range aircraft in the face of brisk tourism demand in Asia.

The airline plans to buy six aircraft from either US aviation giant Boeing or its European rival Airbus and is in separate negotiations with the two firms, a spokeswoman for Bangkok Airways said. "It is part of our expansion. We believe the future of tourism in this region including Thailand is very positive," she said, adding the company is expected to sign a purchase order for new aircraft next year.

The spokeswoman said the purchase would be for the long-haul Airbus A350 carrier or the competing Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Apart from the aircraft investment, the airline would spend one billion baht (24 million dollars) to build new hangars at Thailand's new Suvarnabhumi international airport, due to open in June 2006, she said.

The company also announced its direct flight to Hiroshima, western Japan, from Bangkok, in December. The Bangkok-Hiroshima route is the airline's first direct flight to Japan, the spokeswoman said. After Hiroshima, Bangkok Airways plans direct flights from the Thai capital to the central Japanese city of Nagoya, which is the home base of Japan's largest auto maker, Toyota Motor, in April 2006. Toyota has a significant presence in Thailand.

In addition to domestic Thai routes, the self-proclaimed "boutique airline" also flies to top tourist destinations around Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Singapore, and is aiming to expand into India later this year. /Agence France Presse

http://202.60.196.117/breaking/read.php?lang=en&newsid=93809

[jpatokal]

The airline plans to buy six aircraft from either US aviation giant Boeing or its European rival Airbus and is in separate negotiations with the two firms, a spokeswoman for Bangkok Airways said. ... The spokeswoman said the purchase would be for the long-haul Airbus A350 carrier or the competing Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Don't hold your breath waiting for either of these -- neither one will be ready for deliveries before 2009 or so.

[pong]

after a half year or so
ALL services to Vnam (was not that another great tourist place?) skipped
To Male=Maledives stopped after 1 year or so (linking 2 tsunami hit regions)
The endless meddling for routes into SiemReap, their prime out of Thai destination, many remarks/complaints about suddenly changed services/routes etc from tourists, the better heeled (as they can afford to use BKKair)
Just remember how miserably airlines like PBair [767 to STockholm) and PhuketAir fared with their big planes to Europe?

[jpatokal]

Bangkok Airways is still much better run than any of the competition (except of course THAI and maybe Thai Air Asia). Changing routes and schedules is normal airline business and sensible for maximizing your loads and profits... having your planes grounded for lack of maintenance or unpaid fuel bills like Phuket/PB Air is not.

And yeah, they charge high prices, but they have monopolies on their main routes so it makes sense. Koh Samui and Sukhothai are privately built and run airports, so they're just reaping the benefits of their expensive gambles, while the Siem Reap monopoly is a disgrace on Cambodia (open skies my shiny metal ass), not PG.

[pong]

BUT; the speed at which they are able to both introduce and skip routes is so amazing, similar to those ''allindangerzone'' operations. But perhaps they simply where not that lucky in choosing places to fly too. Also Krabi, yet another promising tourist destination, was soon off their list. And I still have to see what comes out of their very own new aiprort, TRAT(on the mainland, intended to serve Koh Chang). Yes, theyve considerably improved operations, but havig worked in the travl-business also some years ago, I also recall the days when it was TOO RISKY to book them out of samui to BKK for a connection into an intercontinental flight to Europe (tipically lve at 23.00-1.00), due to endless rebookings, cancellations, and general meddling with it so that pax lost their main flight.........
Plus; Sreap is now served by TIGER Air andother LCC's too, from SIN/Malaysia, plus VN-air direct from HCMC

[jpatokal]

Yabbut Bangkok Air has a monopoly on BKK-REP, which is the most lucrative sector. I was quite surprised that Tiger Air managed to pull off SIN-REP, but then again, that route is already flown by Silk Air (also one of Singapore Airliness Mini-Mes). I'll be a little more surprised if Air Asia actually gets rights for KUL-REP, and very surprised if Thai Air Asia manages BKK-REP.

As for connecting from Samui on PG to int'l on non-PG, I wouldn't book a same-day connecting international flight unless it was a) on the same carrier or b) on the same ticket, but maybe I'm just paranoid. :confused:

[GWR]

Bangkok Airways wants to manage 26 provincial Thai airports

BANGKOK, May 19 (TNA) – 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)-E111

Business News : Last Update : 12:22:22 19 May 2008 (GMT+7:00)
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=4319

[GWR]

There has been some reduction in the number of low-cost airline services on this route, although Nok Air (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=3405) have re-established some of their weekend services. Bangkok Airlines is NOT renown for low-cost, however:

Thursday, August 14, 2008
More flights added to weekend Bangkok-Phuket service

PHUKET: Bangkok Airways has added more flights to its weekend Bangkok � Phuket service starting Friday August 15.

The airline already operates a twice daily Bangkok-Phuket service; departing from Bangkok at 11.45am and 5.30pm and departing from Phuket at 1.50pm and 7.40pm.

Flights PG 273 and PG 274 ( Airbus 320 with 162 seats ) have been added to the service and will fly on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

PG 273 is scheduled to leave Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) at 1.45pm and to arrive at Phuket International Airport (PIA) at 3pm.

PG 274 is scheduled to depart from PIA at 3.50pm to arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 5.10pm.

Phuket, Thailand
09:19 local time (GMT +7)

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=6713

More specifically:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=22311&postcount=12