AirAsia Moves to Don Mueang Airport from October 1

By Jamaluddin Muhammad BANGKOK, June 26 (Bernama) -– Beginning Oct 1, low-cost carrier AirAsia will move its flight operations from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the Don Mueang Airport, both located in the capital, starting Oct 1. Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Tasapon Bijleveld said on Monday, the relocation was in line with the airline's growth plan, as well as providing customers with better services. "The relocation could save the airline several hundreds of million Baht in fuel annually, as the Don Mueang Airport airspace is less congested and its taxiway much shorter than Suvarnabhumi International Airport," he said. Thai AirAsia is projected to serve eight million passengers of domestic and international flights this year, and the capacity is expected to increase to nine million passengers next year. Don Mueang Airport handled 40,903 flights with 3.4 million passengers last year, while Suvarnabhumi International Airport operated 299,566 flights and 47.9 million passengers although it was designed to handle 45 million passengers annually. In a move to ease congestion at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the government has decided Don Mueang Airport will cater to low-cost carriers and domestic flights. The government also made the decision for strategic reasons by allowing an alternative airport to operate along the main airport in this capital. Airports of Thailand (AoT) has offered substantial fee discounts, including 95 per cent reduction on fees for aircraft take-off and landing, fee reduction for check-in counter services and office rental, in a move to attract airlines to relocate to Don Mueang Airport. Two local airlines, Nok Air and Oreint Thai, are the only two airlines operating at the Don Mueang Airport at the moment. -- BERNAMA