Yala’s new Betong International Airport is open for enterprise, but you could be hard-pressed to e-book a flight there. Nok Air has suspended its route from Bangkok to Betong, saying it wants an additional two to 3 months to advertise the airport among domestic and overseas tourists before it might possibly reopen the route.
ติดตั้งโซล่าเซลล์ที่อยุ่อาศัย , Nok Air cancelled its flights to the new airport due to a scarcity of passengers. The determination came simply two days after its inaugural flight from Don Mueang to Betong on March 14, with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and other authorities officers on board.
After Prayut formally opened the airport for business business, Nok Air is having second thoughts. Despite an optimistic grand opening, Nok Air’s Chief Commercial Officer Teerapol Chotichanapibal said the drop in sales is why the airline had to cancel its Mueang-Betong flights final Wednesday and suspend the route indefinitely.
“We urge the federal government to guarantee 75% of income for the primary six months, so the airline doesn’t endure an excessive amount of of a loss.”
Unfortunately, last week’s bookings had been far fewer than the airline had expected. regardless of receiving constructive suggestions from agents and prospects about the new route. However, the drop in bookings displays a drop in shopper confidence, which may have been impacted by the day by day positive in Covid-19 infections in Thailand.
Nok Air had originally deliberate to fly from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport thrice per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, utilizing its fleet of Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 plane. The small industrial jet has a capacity of 86 passengers.
Chotichanapibal stated the airline needs the following two or three months to advertise Betong as a brand new tourist destination. He mentioned the airline will offer flights for as little as three,500 baht in hopes of attracting 5% of the local vacationer market. After the border Thailand-Malaysia border reopens on April 1, the airline hopes to draw Malaysian tourists as well.
To move the method forward, the Betong Tourism Business Association will meet Nok Air and tourism businesses today to debate pricing and advertising strategies, according to vice chairman Narin Ruengwongsa.
“The tourism sector in Betong expects Nok Air to start out Don Mueang-Betong flights from April 1 consistent with Malaysia’s border reopening plans and the Qingming competition.”
He expects Betong to expertise a flood of travellers from Malaysia and Singapore once the border reopens, noting that greater than 600,000 Malaysian and Singaporean tourists had visited Yala in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic started.
Earlier this month, Nok Air additionally introduced it will start flights between Betong and Songkhla’s Hat Yai airport. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said Betong airport might probably turn into a regional aviation hub for international travellers among Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia..