Asian low-cost carriers go international

This development comes as news of ?a wave of international service announcements? by low-cost carriers (LLCs) confirmed plans of offering international services. ?India and Malaysia domestic markets are the hotspots, but the impact is spreading throughout the region like a brush fire,? CAPA said.

Intra-Southeast Asia
According to CAPA, LLCs account for over 56 percent of the additional seats offered within the Asia Pacific region this month. With 19,000 more flights this month, a ?startling? 3.5 million more seats are available than last year.

 

Malaysia?s AirAsia Group is said to be planning to open new routes to Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, as well as Southern China, with the Thai unit expanding its reach into the Pearl River Delta with the launch of Bangkok-Shenzhen service in Jul-07, with plans to launch services to Kunming, Chengdu and Chongqing later this year.

Thailand-based One-Two-Go, is to add Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap), Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia (Bali), and Bangladesh to its list of destinations.

Nok Air, also based in Thailand, is said to keen on commencing service to India. The Thai low-cost carrier, according to CAPA, will soon fly to Bangalore, followed by Chennai and Hyderabad.

Long-haul
In terms of long-haul, low-cost carrier Viva Macau confirmed plans to launch services to Sydney by late this year, CAPA said. The carrier is also planning to launch services to South Korea (Incheon) and Japan (Osaka) within the next two months, then to Europe by the end of 2007.

Meanwhile, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, CAPA said, will launch six times weekly Hong Kong-Vancouver service beginning next month.

 

Sourced from eTurboNews