Air capacity windfall for Phuket in 2013

PHUKET and its neighbouring islands will see a rush of increases in air capacity over the coming months as both LCCs and full-service airlines launch new flights and ramp up existing frequencies.

Shanghai-based LCC Spring Airlines will launch thrice-weekly flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport using Airbus A320 aircraft on June 26. Phuket will be Spring Airlines’ second Thai destination after Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi.

Malaysia Airlines launched an additional daily service on the Kuala Lumpur-Phuket route on June 1. The route was hitherto served 19 times a week and is now run 26 times instead, injecting 1,162 seats per week in each direction.

More capacity injection can be expected when the winter schedule comes into effect in late October 2013. Aeroflot, which normally starts a thrice-weekly seasonal service linking Moscow-Sheremetyevo and Phuket from Christmas Day, will this year bring forward its commencement to October 27.

An Airbus 330-300 will be operated from October 27 to December 24, after which the larger Boeing 777-300ER will be deployed.

THAI Smile will also be adding services from Phuket in the winter 2013 season. The Phuket-Delhi route will be served four times weekly, up from the current twice-weekly operation.

Phuket-Kuala Lumpur services will be increased from the current four times weekly to daily, while Phuket-Mumbai will receive a three-times-weekly service – up from the current twice-weekly schedule.

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