THAI AirAsia (TAA) will shift its base of operations from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang airport from October 1, a move that is likely to spur a similar relocation of other domestic carriers (TTG Asia e-Daily, May 30, 2012).
The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has rolled out a series of incentives to entice LCCs to move to Don Mueang, while the Thai government has approved the transformation of Don Mueang Airport into a domestic LCC hub to ease congestion at the main Suvarnabhumi airport (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 22, 2012).
Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of TAA, said the decision to return to Don Mueang was assessed based on the airport’s capabilities and assistance measures from AOT, which are aligned with the airline’s growth plan and goal of providing passengers with better service.
“The uncongested Don Mueang Airport is sure to prove a benefit to AirAsia when it boosts its fleet of Airbus A320s to a total of 48 and welcomes more customers. The airport’s location also makes it conducive to further travel,” said Tassapon.
All TAA flights will retain their FD code and original schedules.
