BANGKOK Airways will in September commence flights to Mandalay and Naypyidaw, one-upping Thai AirAsia by commencing the first international service to Myanmar capital Naypyidaw ahead of the LCC’s October launch date.
“We will launch the Naypyidaw route from September 30, (operating) three flights a week from Bangkok. The idea of launching flights to Naypyidaw is to meet the demand from travellers for the 27th SEA Games in Naypyidaw this December,” said Nang Hon Tip, senior sales executive, Bangkok Airways Yangon office.
Flying every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a 70-seat ATR 72-500 aircraft, the service will depart Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 17.00 and arrive in Naypyidaw International Airport at 19.00. On the return leg, flights depart the Myanmar capital at 19.30 and arrive in Bangkok at 21.30.
Thai AirAsia had in June said it would launch a four-times-weekly Bangkok-Naypyidaw service beginning in October (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 7, 2013).
Bangkok Airways will also kick Bangkok-Mandalay flights on September 15, becoming the third Thai airline to offer the route alongside Thai AirAsia and THAI Smile.
To run four times a week initially, frequencies will be ramped up to daily from October 27 to meet high season demand.
Utilising a 144-seat Airbus A319 jetliner, flights depart Bangkok on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 12.00 to arrive in Mandalay at 13.20. Return flights leave at 14.10 and touchdown in the Thai capital at 16.35.
Bangkok Airways currently operates thrice-daily Bangkok-Yangon flights and will add one more daily flight on October 27.
