Bangkok Airways, which celebrates its 45th anniversary next year, is looking to add two new routes to its regional network in 2013: two daily flights from Bangkok to Krabi in April and four flights a week from Bangkok to Mandalay in September. The airline is also seeking permission to increase the maximum number of flights allowed through Koh Samui Airport to 50 a day from the current 38.
Two cities – Taipei and Shanghai – are on the airline’s radar as possible links with Koh Samui, in addition to the existing routes to Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.
Boosting frequencies on existing routes will be another main strategy next year, with the Bangkok – Male service increasing to five flights a week in April from four now and Bangkok – Luang Prabang flights increasing from the present two. Frequencies on the Koh Samui – Phuket and Bangkok – Chiang Mai routes may be raised to six flights a day on each, while the Koh Samui – Chiang Mai service could increase to seven flights a day.
Next year’s new routes and frequency increases will be accommodated by two new aircraft, an A319 and an A320. Bangkok Airways recently took delivery of two leased A320s, raising the number of aircraft in its fleet to 21 – eight ATR-72s, five A320s, and eight A319s. The airline currently operates 120 flights a day, serving 20 cities in Thailand and abroad.
