Flight low demand for Thai AirAsia in Ho Chi Minh City and Medan force this airways company temporarily suspended the flight from Phuket to those two cities. Still, the carrier remains committed to growing Phuket as its second air hub in the Kingdom.

The two services began at the end of last year with daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City and three flights weekly to Medan, Indonesia.

The Ho Chi Minh service ended on May 15 and the Medan service on April 30.

Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapol Bijleveld says, the aircraft used on the routes will now be used to increase direct flights frequency on Phuket to Chiang Mai, and Phuket to Udon Thani routes.

Starting June 1, Phuket to Udon Thani route will begin its daily flights and route increase for Phuket to Chiang Mai into two flights a day.

Domestic flights escalation will help boost the economy and encourage domestic tourism spending, Mr Tassapol said.

Mr Tassapol described the cancellation of the Ho Chi Minh and Medan services as ‘temporary,’ but did not specify when they would resume.

Thai Air Asia also plans to add new routes from its Phuket hub, including flights to India, in the near future.

By year’s end, all Thai AirAsia flights will be aboard new Airbus A320s.

By 2014, the budget carrier will have 40 new A320s in service, he said.

News by Phuket Gazette