Hat-Yai IA doldrums:2 new routes?

[GWR]

No news reports on this one, but I was recently told that Tiger Airways has stopped its flights to Hat-Yai International Airport. MAS and Phuket Airways stopped their flights from Hat-Yai to Kuala Lumpur some years back. Now the main claim to IA status is flights to Mecca for the annual Haj.

This is, of course, part of the downturn in the local tourist industry through several terrorist attacks in the city over the last few years.

I doubt this lack of scheduled international flights is permanent, but it is a rather serious blow to the city. There must be many Singaporeans, with weekend homes in Hat-Yai, looking around for alternatives or just deciding to set up their 'second families' ;) elsewhere. I'll check if such flights exist, but I suspect that some will fly to Alor Setar and cross to Hat-Yai from there. Rather ironic, since Alor Setar people have long driven to Hat-Yai to catch flights to Bangkok.

[jpatokal]

Yes, Hat Yai is gone from Tiger's winter schedule:

http://www.tigerairways.com/flight/flight-schedules.php

There is no longer any easy way to get from Singapore to southern Thailand, as there are no flights to Alor Setar either. Probably the shortest route thus involves flying to Bangkok and then connecting from there.

[GWR]

There has been no Hat-Yai to KL route for some time, but I half-suspect that someone will eventually pick up the Hat-Yai to Singapore route again. It wasn't that long ago they were talking of re-establishing a Hat-Yai to Medan route. In the meantime, it looks like Malaysia's diminutive Firefly is considering the Hat-Yai to KL route. This would, of course, probably mean flying into the old KL Subang Airport. but anything is better than nothing if you want to get to KL in a hurry:

Firefly growth

Firefly, Malaysia's second low-cost carrier, is planning to expand to Indonesia's Sumatra Island and southern Thailand next year.

Among the new destinations the airline is looking at are Bandar Aceh, Palembang, Pekan Baru and Padang on Sumatra and Hat Yai and Krabi in southern Thailand.

Firefly CEO Eddy Leong said the routes would start once they took delivery of the first three new ATR 72-500 aircraft next September.

Currently, Firefly flies to Penang, Subang, Kuantan, Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Langkawi and Johor Baru in Malaysia, plus Phuket and Koh Samui in Thailand.

The Star, Asia News Network
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/12/08/business/business_30058540.php?PHPSESSID=4ccaea9ddab12c24d3 c47cf30a908ea7

[GWR]

Blimey! It's been running for over a year and the first I get to hear of this service is when they decide to drop it. Where's the marketing!?:

Thursday, January 3, 2008
Nok Air quietly grounds Phuket-Haad Yai route

PHUKET: Nok Air has quietly suspended its loss-ridden Phuket-Haad Yai service, once again making it impossible to fly between Southern Thailand’s two busiest airports, the Gazette has learned.

Nok Air Executive Vice-President for Marketing Sehapan Chumsai told the Gazette today there were not enough passengers to continue the service, which began June 6 last year using 150-seat Boeing 737-400 aircraft.

The service was terminated November 15 after it became clear that the service was not profitable even after the start of the tourism high season, he said.

Flights were typically only half full and the service showed no increase in passenger traffic during its initial six months, convincing the airline to discontinue it, K. Sehapan added.

“About 80% of passengers were local Thais. Even after the start of high season there was no increase in the number of foreign tourists [using the service],” he said.

Rival carrier One-Two-Go did not book any passengers on the flight despite a code-sharing agreement between the two airlines after they were both granted approval to launch the service about the same time last year, K. Sehapan said.

An aircraft of about 70 seats was suitable for the route, but Nok Air has no plans to buy smaller aircraft in order to service the route, he said.

Before Nok Air, Phuket Air serviced the route with a 64-seat Japanese-built NAMC YS-11 turboprop aircraft.

http://www.phuketgazette.com/news/index.asp?id=6196

I suspect the one thing Phuket Air managed to get right on this route WAS the use of a smaller plane.

[GWR]

That Hat-Yai to Subang route is probably with Firefly, as discussed earlier in the thread:

January 22, 2008 17:32 PM

IMT-GT Needs More Air Routes To Boost Tourism

By D.Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Tourism activities within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMTGT) are expected to get a boost with the opening of more air routes between cities like Hatyai, Langkawi and Bandar Acheh, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

He said during his meeting with his counterparts from Thailand and Indonesia at the Asean Tourism Forum here, they agreed to bring up the matter with their respective transport ministers for further discussions.

"Greater connectivity will help in promoting the IMTGT areas. We want tourism and the economy to grow simultaneously for the benefit of the people," he said.

Tengku Adnan said among the proposed routes were between Hatyai and Subang, Batam and Langkawi, Hatyai and Langkawi, Banda Acheh and Penang as well as Phuket-Langkawi-Sabang (Sumatera).

"The interested airlines have also asked for the waiving of landing fees and discounts on other airport fees to serve such routes," he said.

The IMTGT comprises Thailand's southern provinces and the northern part of Malaysia and Sumatera in Indonesia, with total population of about 100 million.

Tengku Adnan said the Visit IMTGT 2008 would be a major tourism event in the area this year and 2009, with many activities being lined-up by the three countries.

On the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) tourism ministers' meeting from Jan 21-22, he said the Asean secretariat has agreed to publish an Asean coffee-table book to promote the region as a single destination.

"The book will be similar to the Commonwealth Tourism Centre coffee-table book launch in London at the end of last year," he said.

He said Malaysia has been pushing for joint promotion of the region for many years but received little support from other countries due to financial constraints faced by developing countries like Laos and Cambodia.

-- BERNAMA

Non-Specific Link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/

[GWR]

February 13, 2008 18:24 PM

Firefly Hopes To Fly Into Haadyai & Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) - Community airline Firefly Sdn Bhd is considering flying into Singapore and Haadyai in Thailand, managing director Eddy Leong said today.

Firefly intends to explore new destinations but this will be based on demand, he told a media briefing here on the Malaysia Travel Fair (MATF) which Firefly will take part in for the first time.

The Fair, from Feb 22 to 24, will be at eight locations nationwide, including the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

"We are working very closely with several trade bodies as we see a huge demand since we operate from Subang," Leong said, adding that the airline plans to expand to southern Thailand later this year.

Firefly takes off from its hub in Penang to seven destinations, with twice daily flights to Kuala Lumpur via Subang, Kota Baharu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Langkawi.

It has also extended its coverage to two prime regional destinations in Thailand, Koh Samui and Phuket.

Launched on April 3 last year, Firefly is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines.

-- BERNAMA

Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/

Thread on Firefly's purchase of new turboprop planes:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=21394&postcount=1