AirAsia Launches 3 New Routes Direct from U-Tapao To Macau, Singapore and Udon Thani Forges Ahead Promoting Travel to the East
AirAsia launches new international and domestic flight routes to 3 destinations, flying U- Tapao Airport to Macau, Singapore and Udon Thani at promotional fares following the success of the U-Tapao-Nanning and U-Tapao-Nanchang routes. The airline is promoting U-Tapao as a fully fledged flight base able to attract Chinese travelers to the Kingdom's east this year end as well as presenting new travel options to the Thai people.
Mr. Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, stated Thai AirAsia (flight code FD) is fully ready to launch new routes out of U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport, the airline's fifth flight base. Its three newest routes will see daily direct flights to Macau, Singapore and Udon Thani. The CEO affirmed Thai AirAsia's belief in U-Tapao Airport as a commercial flight base, ready to handle the east's growing tourism sector.
"The reason we are continuously launching new routes from U-Tapao Airport this year end is because we see its potential and the opportunity to draw travel and investment to the eastern region, whether it is to the popular entertainment destination, Pattaya or to Rayong's industrial center. We especially want to allow Chinese and foreign travelers to conveniently access the eastern region while affording residents of the area new exciting ways to travel with AirAsia" Mr. Tassapon said.
To celebrate the three new routes, AirAsia will feature great promotional fares from U-Tapao to Singapore and Macau available for booking today to 11 October 2015 for travel from the start of service on 27 November 2015 to 29 October 2016. Bookings can be made through all channels, including;
www.airasia.com, Counter Service, AirAsia Sales Offices and all branches of 7-11. The U-Tapao-Udon Thani route will be available very soon.
Meanwhile, the inaugural Nanning-U-Tapao (25 September 2015) and Nanchang-U-Tapao (26 September 2015) flights were very well received by Chinese travelers with load factors of 70-75% and continual bookings. The U-Tapao-Kuala Lumpur (AirAsia Malaysia code AK) route, which launched earlier, has also received a strong response. All together, AirAsia operates a total 6 routes out of U-Tapao Airport flying direct to Kuala Lumpur, Nanning, Nanchang, Udon Thani, Singapore and Macau.
To offer even greater convenience for passengers connecting to other destinations, AirAsia offers City and Island transfer services using shuttle buses and ferry boats that take passengers from U-Tapao to major travel destinations that include Koh Samet, Pattaya City (Central Festival) and Rayong with plans to offer transfers to Koh Lan very soon. Passengers can easily book the service at
www.airasia.com by selecting their origin and desired final destination.
"By the end of 2015, AirAsia will have stationed two Airbus A320 planes at U-Tapao Airport, which we believe will grow quickly as a flight base with a steady stream of new routes and travelers making their way to the eastern region. We would like to thank all the relevant agencies that we have closely worked with and received great support from including the authorities at U-Tapao Airport and Pattaya", Mr. Tassapon remarked.
Photo Caption : (From left to right) Rear Admiral Wasinsap Chantawarin, Director of U-Tapao Airport (eighth from the left), Ms. Witchunee Kuntapeng, Director of Ground Operations for Thai AirAsia (seventh from the left) and the captain and crew welcome passengers to the inaugural Nanning and Nanchang, China flights to U-Tapao International Airport on 25 and 26 September. The flights also inaugurated the airport as AirAsia's fifth official hub where the airline plans to station two aircraft by the end of 2015 as well as launch three more routes from U-Tapao to Singapore, Macau and Udon Thani. Bookings will be available from 28 September 2015 onward.
