A proposed Thailand start-up carrier says it hopes to launch scheduled passenger flights between Bangkok and Frankfurt before the end of this year using a Boeing 777-200ER. The venture, R Airlines, plans to introduce a twice weekly link to the German city from its base at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport from December 19, 2012 and is also planning further network expansion in Europe. Alongside the proposed European link, R Airlines says it will acquire two Boeing 737-400s for operation on routes to “the incredible India market” and “the unseen part of Mainland China”.
Details about the carrier are limited but its website says its backers have “teamed up with a new generation marketing team, closely assisted by technical and operational experts who hold similar visionaries and passion in aviation business”. The website also claims that the venture has “a strong and secure financial back up by the leading national Bank in Thailand,” alongside investment from both individual and corporate bodies.
Our own investigations suggest that R Airlines is backed by a local Thai businessman, Mr Ratchada, and it plans to launch charter services from Bangkok Don Mueang from November 1, 2012. Initial destinations are thought to comprise Varanasi and Gaya in India with the Chinese cities of Guiyang and Nanjing set to follow from a later date. The recruitment of cabin and support staff is understood to be currently taken place.
Although most international air services operate from the new Bangkok S Suvarnabhumi International Airport, R Airlines will not be alone in providing foreign flights from Don Mueang. Low-cost airline giant AirAsia Group has recently transferred its own flights from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang and its AirAsia, Indonesian Air Asia and Thai AirAsia ventures are all now flying from there. Other airlines also offer charter flights from the airport, including Nok Air and Orient Thai Airlines.
The four of the short-haul markets R Airlines plans to serve from Don Mueang have been flown on a scheduled basis from Suvarnabhumi, although some more frequently than others. Nanjing is currently served by ThaiAirAsia and on a seasonal basis by China Eastern Airlines, while Thai Airways International has a seasonal flight to Gaya. There are no current links to Guiyang in China and Varanasi in India, although both routes have been previously served on a scheduled charter basis by a mix of operators.
The Frankfurt route will pitch R Airlines in direct competition with Lufthansa and Thai Airways International which offer a daily and double daily schedule, respectively. With just two rotations per week R Airlines will struggle to compete with the flag carriers for premium traffic, but could easily attract leisure demand on the long-haul route. In 2011, an estimated 359,000 O&D passengers flew between Bangkok and Frankfurt with average one-way fares of $411.
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