CELEBRATING its 20th birthday today, Phuket International Airport announced some positive news: officials say six regular new weekly charter flights from European airports will begin flying to Phuket later this month.
The flights will come from Milan, Stockholm, Zurich, Prague, Brussels and St Peterburg, with the first of them beginning as soon as October 26 and most continuing each week through the high season until late March.
The airlines involved were named today by airport General Manager Wicha Nurnlop as Air Italy, Edel Weiss Air, XL Airways France, Russiya Airlines, Corse Air and Travel Praha Services.
While the milestone is likely to be delayed now until December, airport officials remain confident that the target for 2008 of six million passengers can be reached.
Approval has already been given for the widening of the four-lane road outside the airport to six lanes, Khun Wicha said.
Since the tsunami put numbers into retreat in 2005, airport passenger volumes have risen from 3.423 million in 2005, to 4.467 million in 2006, 5.477 million in 2007, and are now heading towards a potential increase of more than eight percent this year to six million.
September was a setback after the August airport invasion by anti-government protestors over three days.
A year on year comparison with 2007 showed September flights down 22.89 percent with total passenger numbers at 285,705, a drop of 21.33 percent.
Nevertheless, this high season a total of 13 charter airlines will be using the airport, the same number as last high season.
Thirty international airlines are expected to use the airport, along with four domestic services.
Nok Air is no longer on the list but One-Two-Go is there, despite the suspension of the airline amid safety concerns following the crash of an aircraft with 90 fatalities on Phuket on September 16 last year.
The budget carrier is reported to be aiming to resume flights around mid-November after passing stringent safety and operational audits by the Department of Civil Aviation, which are now said to be in the final stages.
The airline's founder Udom Tantiprasongchai told reporters earlier this week that he saw no reason why DCA would not restore the licence to One-Two-Go.
According to Khun Udom, the airline has complied with all requirements.
The official report into the crash has yet to be released but pilot error is said to have been the cause of the crash.
A senior DCA official said One-Two-Go had only a few points in its flight operation manual to be adjusted, a process likely to be completed by October 20.
Wing Commander Wicha said today that the airport was still on track for a five-billion baht expansion program to cope with anticiapted increases in Phuket passenger numbers through to 2012.
By then, about five million international passengers and up to 7.5 million domestic passengers are expected to be using the airport.
Wing Commander Wicha also said about 20 private jets were expected to be using the airport this high season.
The flights will come from Milan, Stockholm, Zurich, Prague, Brussels and St Peterburg, with the first of them beginning as soon as October 26 and most continuing each week through the high season until late March.
The airlines involved were named today by airport General Manager Wicha Nurnlop as Air Italy, Edel Weiss Air, XL Airways France, Russiya Airlines, Corse Air and Travel Praha Services.
While the milestone is likely to be delayed now until December, airport officials remain confident that the target for 2008 of six million passengers can be reached.
Approval has already been given for the widening of the four-lane road outside the airport to six lanes, Khun Wicha said.
Since the tsunami put numbers into retreat in 2005, airport passenger volumes have risen from 3.423 million in 2005, to 4.467 million in 2006, 5.477 million in 2007, and are now heading towards a potential increase of more than eight percent this year to six million.
September was a setback after the August airport invasion by anti-government protestors over three days.
A year on year comparison with 2007 showed September flights down 22.89 percent with total passenger numbers at 285,705, a drop of 21.33 percent.
Nevertheless, this high season a total of 13 charter airlines will be using the airport, the same number as last high season.
Thirty international airlines are expected to use the airport, along with four domestic services.
Nok Air is no longer on the list but One-Two-Go is there, despite the suspension of the airline amid safety concerns following the crash of an aircraft with 90 fatalities on Phuket on September 16 last year.
The budget carrier is reported to be aiming to resume flights around mid-November after passing stringent safety and operational audits by the Department of Civil Aviation, which are now said to be in the final stages.
The airline's founder Udom Tantiprasongchai told reporters earlier this week that he saw no reason why DCA would not restore the licence to One-Two-Go.
According to Khun Udom, the airline has complied with all requirements.
The official report into the crash has yet to be released but pilot error is said to have been the cause of the crash.
A senior DCA official said One-Two-Go had only a few points in its flight operation manual to be adjusted, a process likely to be completed by October 20.
Wing Commander Wicha said today that the airport was still on track for a five-billion baht expansion program to cope with anticiapted increases in Phuket passenger numbers through to 2012.
By then, about five million international passengers and up to 7.5 million domestic passengers are expected to be using the airport.
Wing Commander Wicha also said about 20 private jets were expected to be using the airport this high season.
I really hope 1-2-Gone is not coming back.
Posted by Fritz Pinguin on October 9, 2008 17:58