Bangkok Airways Requests Indian Route Licences

It was revealed earlier this month in an exclusive interview with The HUB at Routes Asia 2011 in Incheon, South Korea, that Bangkok Airways was looking to expand its activities in India. The airline has now confirmed that it has applied to Indian aviation authorities for the rights to operate flights to Bangalore and Chennai from Bangkok.

According to a senior executive, subject to approval, the Bangalore route could start before the end of this year, with Chennai following at the start of 2012. The airline also plans to boost frequencies on its Mumbai flight, launched in March this year, from six to seven times weekly, subject to securing the necessary slots.

There is a huge potential for demand between the two countries as Peter Wiesner, Senior Vice President Network Management, Bangkok Airways, revealed in his interview with The HUB last month. Some 700,000 Indian nationals flew to Thailand last year, and a 15 to 20 percent increase is expected this year.

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NOTE: Schedule data extracted from Flightbase for week commencing April 14, 2011; Traffic data extracted from IATA BSP system for the year ending February 2011.