Thai AirAsia to open new routes across ASEAN

BANGKOK, Aug 6 (TNA) - Thai AirAsia, a fast growing low-cost airline in the region, now plans to open new routes in the lead-up to a single economic community of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2015. Thai AirAsia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tassapol Bijleveld told journalists on Monday that his budget airline is considering to open new routes across the 10-member ASEAN and has started exploring Myanmar by launching a new route to its second largest city of Mandalay, as well as increasing flight frequency to Yangon. According to the top executive, Thai AirAsia also plans to open new routes to Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s new capital, and Bagan, as well as Danang in Vietnam and Sawannakhet, Laos' second largest city, over the next couple of years. Regarding to another plan to relocate Thai AirAsia's aviation base from Thailand's main, but congested, Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the Don Muang Airport, the airline's CEO said that the relocation process has been about 50 per cent complete and Thai AirAsia flights will likely start serving passengers at the Don Muang Airport by October 1, 2012. (TNA)