Thai AirAsia To Begin Flights Between Bangkok & Singapore
-
Adapted from Streats - Thursday, February 5, 2004 Edition.
$50 to Bangkok
Budget air travel will arrive in Singapore in less than a fortnight.
Thai AirAsia has received the go-ahead from Singapore authorities to start daily flights between Bangkok and Singapore from Feb 16.
The airline, a joint venture of Malaysia's AirAsia and Thailand's Shin Corp, will fly to Changi Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in an e-mailed response to Streats that it received on Tuesday the relevant documentation from Thai AirAsia showing that it has been designated under the bilateral air services agreement.
There is now no regulatory hurdle to Thai AirAsia starting operations.
"Thai AirAsia should be able to start its services from Bangkok to Singapore, as per its plans," CAAS said yesterday.
AirAsia director of flight operations Chin Nyok San told Streats yesterday that Thai AirAsia will launch its Bangkok-Singapore service on Feb 16, with the flight scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 10.30 am and depart for Bangkok half an hour later.
He said: "The decision is to start with one flight a day. There has not been a decision yet on the evening flight."
Captain Chin said that Thai AirAsia has rights to stage two return flights a day between Bangkok and Singapore.
AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes, who was in Laos yesterday for a tourism conference, could not be reached for comment.
But he is expected to hold a press conference in Singapore tomorrow to announce details of the Bangkok-Singapore service.
AirAsia's senior executives declined to say how much a one-way ticket will cost.
But Mr Fernandes told reporters last month that he expected to sell Bangkok-Singapore flights from $50 upwards, excluding taxes.
AirAsia operates a ladder-type pricing system where tickets are sold in batches at different price points according to demand. It says its most expensive ticket is still 20 to 30 percent cheaper than other airlines operating on the same route.
A check with a travel agent showed that a return ticket to Bangkok on Thai Airways costs $340, Cathay Pacific charges $260, Singapore Airlines $350 and Garuda Indonesia $245. All prices before taxes.
Passengers departing Changi Airport have to pay $21 in taxes and charges.
Thai AirAsia will utilise aerobridges at Changi Airport, so passengers will not need to walk on the tarmac to board their flights.
Added Captain Chin: "Using aerobridges will not compromise our turnaround time. At most it will add another 5 minutes."
LOw cost carriers such as AirAsia rely on short turnaround times to squeeze in more flights a day unlike conventional premium airlines.
Besides benefitting air travellers, Thai AirAsia's impending air service also puts more pressure on Valuair and Tiger Airways, the two Singapore-based budget airlines slated to start operations later this year.
AirAsia has previously tried to lure Singapore residents to make the two-hour journey to Johor's Senai Airport to take its budget flights. For instance, it charges upwards of RM99.99 (S$44.58 ) for a one-way ticket to Bangkok out of Senai.
Changi Airport is also served by 2 other budget airlines flying to Jakarta and Medan. They are operated by LionAir and Jatayu Airlines. LionAir plans to start operations to Phnom Penh soon. -
A quote from my lame friend...
"$50 to BangKok..its only $40 in singapore."
another one from another lame friend...
"Tak keluar pun smiley" which means "wheres the smiley" -
Heard that they will be leasing 3-4 737-400s from mainline Thai Airways.
-
Can't wait to see that as it lands 3 days later
-
I rather pay more to fly on a widebody then to fly 737-300.
-
I think I can smell *certain displeasure from the moderator ..
R u an employee of S.I.A ??!!