THAI AIRWAYS confirmed today that it will lift its Bangok-Phuket service from eight flights a day to nine flights a day from September 1.
Tourism Authority of Thailand assistant regional director Anoma Wonyai told the governor's regular monthly media conference that the extra flights were on the way.
Phuketwan was able to confirm the additional flight will be from Bangkok to Phuket, departing at 6.40pm daily. No time has been specified for the Phuket-Bangkok flight.
The extra service is likely to alleviate low season congestion and allow spur-of-the-moment holidaymakers to book flights to Phuket.
An airline spokesperson said yesterday that the airline faced a shortage of pilots and was struggling to add extra flights.
Thai Airways also runs three flights a week direct to Phuket from Perth and Hong Kong and two from Tokyo.
In other tourism-related developments today:
..Vice Governor Worapot Rattasima told the gathering that the number of Russian visitors was projected to grow to 600,000 this high season.
That forecast caused some surprise. A total of 122,419 Russians came in 2007, a rise of 40.7 percent over the previous year, TAT figures show.
A surge to 600,000 would easily surpass the 345,641 Australians who visited Phuket last year, by far the biggest national contingent.
..Hundreds of tourists had not been able to travel to Phuket since the grounding of One-Two-Go and Nok Air cutting flights, the General Manager of Phuket International Airport, Wicha Nurnlop, confirmed.
He said flights to Phuket had increased, despite the rise in fuel costs, from 106 a day last year to 121 a day this year.
The staff at the airport were struggling to cope with 1000 tourist arrivals each hour. The airport, yet to begin a large-scale expansion plan, was approaching its capacity.
Fourteen percent of visitors to Thailand came to Phuket but this was expected to increase to 20 percent by the end of the year, he said.
..Khun Anoma said the number of visitors to Phuket between October and April rose by 14 percent to 4.79 million.
Direct flights from Tokyo to Phuket had boosted the number of Japanese arrivals. The flights so far had been 90 percent full, with bookings already at 80 percent for September.
Eight direct charter flights from Hong Kong in August would also boost tourist numbers.
More generally, she said that the occupancy rate for Phuket was 40 percent to 55 percent, about normal for low season.
PHUKET International Airport has discounted its landing fees to offset the cost of fuel and encourage airline to keep coming to the island.
Airport General Manager Wicha Nurnlop said the usual fee was 100 baht per passenger.
He has now developed a ''gold standard'' to encourage better performance from the 12 airlines that use the airport.
The airlines and the discounts that apply are: Thai Airways, discount 30 percent on intenrational and domestic, Nok Air, 70 percent, Silk Air, 75 percent, Thai Air Asia domestic, 30 percent, international 75 percent, Asiana Airlines, 75 percent, Korea Airlines, 75 percent.
There is no discount for Bangkok Airways, LTU Tour, Firefly, TUIfly, Bell Air and Condor Airlines.
Essential Reading:
Phuket Flights: A User's Guide (But Book Early)
Phuket Relies on Jetstar Hoppers Not Nokkers
Tourism Authority of Thailand assistant regional director Anoma Wonyai told the governor's regular monthly media conference that the extra flights were on the way.
Phuketwan was able to confirm the additional flight will be from Bangkok to Phuket, departing at 6.40pm daily. No time has been specified for the Phuket-Bangkok flight.
The extra service is likely to alleviate low season congestion and allow spur-of-the-moment holidaymakers to book flights to Phuket.
An airline spokesperson said yesterday that the airline faced a shortage of pilots and was struggling to add extra flights.
Thai Airways also runs three flights a week direct to Phuket from Perth and Hong Kong and two from Tokyo.
In other tourism-related developments today:
..Vice Governor Worapot Rattasima told the gathering that the number of Russian visitors was projected to grow to 600,000 this high season.
That forecast caused some surprise. A total of 122,419 Russians came in 2007, a rise of 40.7 percent over the previous year, TAT figures show.
A surge to 600,000 would easily surpass the 345,641 Australians who visited Phuket last year, by far the biggest national contingent.
..Hundreds of tourists had not been able to travel to Phuket since the grounding of One-Two-Go and Nok Air cutting flights, the General Manager of Phuket International Airport, Wicha Nurnlop, confirmed.
He said flights to Phuket had increased, despite the rise in fuel costs, from 106 a day last year to 121 a day this year.
The staff at the airport were struggling to cope with 1000 tourist arrivals each hour. The airport, yet to begin a large-scale expansion plan, was approaching its capacity.
Fourteen percent of visitors to Thailand came to Phuket but this was expected to increase to 20 percent by the end of the year, he said.
..Khun Anoma said the number of visitors to Phuket between October and April rose by 14 percent to 4.79 million.
Direct flights from Tokyo to Phuket had boosted the number of Japanese arrivals. The flights so far had been 90 percent full, with bookings already at 80 percent for September.
Eight direct charter flights from Hong Kong in August would also boost tourist numbers.
More generally, she said that the occupancy rate for Phuket was 40 percent to 55 percent, about normal for low season.
Landing Fees Discounts
PHUKET International Airport has discounted its landing fees to offset the cost of fuel and encourage airline to keep coming to the island.
Airport General Manager Wicha Nurnlop said the usual fee was 100 baht per passenger.
He has now developed a ''gold standard'' to encourage better performance from the 12 airlines that use the airport.
The airlines and the discounts that apply are: Thai Airways, discount 30 percent on intenrational and domestic, Nok Air, 70 percent, Silk Air, 75 percent, Thai Air Asia domestic, 30 percent, international 75 percent, Asiana Airlines, 75 percent, Korea Airlines, 75 percent.
There is no discount for Bangkok Airways, LTU Tour, Firefly, TUIfly, Bell Air and Condor Airlines.
Essential Reading:
Phuket Flights: A User's Guide (But Book Early)
Phuket Relies on Jetstar Hoppers Not Nokkers
