AirAsia to launch Mandalay-Bangkok flights in October

THE first Thai AirAsia flights between Bangkok and Mandalay will begin on October 4, while flight frequency on the existing Yangon route will increase to three times daily, the airline’s chief executive officer said last week.

Mr Tassapon Bijleveld said at press conference in Bangkok on August 6 that the new service would operate each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

“We have no worries to provide a direct flight to Mandalay from Bangkok. I believe Mandalay is an attractive destination full of culture and full of Buddhist history. [More] travellers will probably go to Mandalay if there are direct flights. The airport is good enough to land flights,” Mr Bijleveld said.

But he said Myanmar needs to prepare other services, such as transport and restaurants, at the airport to welcome additional guests. If services are improved at Bagan and Nay Pyi Taw airports, the airline will also look to expand services to these cities, he added.

An AirAsia spokesperson in Yangon said Mandalay Airport’s major weakness was transport links to the city’s downtown area. Only taxis are available, at a cost of K12,000 for two people.

“It takes one hour and 15 minutes to drive downtown from the airport and the fare is expensive. The authorities should adjust the fare cost,” the spokesperson said.

Both Myanmar and Thailand-based tourism officials and agencies welcomed the new service.

A spokesperson for the Tourism Authority of Thailand said the service would benefit not only Thai tourists but those from elsewhere in Asia who are visiting Thailand. He suggested the government should consider extending visa-on-arrival to citizens of all ASEAN countries “as soon as possible”.

“This is the best thing to do to promote tourism between the ASEAN countries. And also, Myanmar needs to invest more in tourism,” he said.

“Our two countries are cooperating for tourism promotion in the ASEAN framework. Two weeks ago, we sent our marketing manager to analyse the tourism destinations … based on the results of that analysis, we would like to do more promotion between Thailand and Myanmar,” he added.

Myanmar-based agents said the service will allow tourists to skip Yangon, where rooms are in short supply and rates are excessive.

“We are thinking how we can leave Yangon out of our tour packages because there are so many complaints and cancellations because of the room rate. But now we hope that the Mandalay hotels do not increase room rates after the direct flights start,” said Daw Sabai Aung, managing director of Nature Dream Travels and Tour.

To mark the flight launch, AirAsia last week offered promotional fares starting from US$49 one way between Mandalay and Bangkok and $42 one way on the Yangon-Bangkok route, inclusive of taxes and fees. The promotion was available on www.airasia.com from August 6-12 for travel between October 4 and December 31.

Sourced: balidiscovery