New Budget Route to Ranong

By Bangkok Post, Thailand

Nov. 1–Thai AirAsia (TAA) will launch service from Bangkok to Ranong, becoming the first airline to make scheduled flights to the southern province since Phuket Airlines backed out more than a year ago.

The budget airline will offer three flights a week — Tuesday, Friday and Sunday — on its 10th domestic route starting on Nov 23, using a 148-seat Boeing 737-300 jetliner.

TAA chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said the decision to fly to Ranong was largely based on leisure market potential as the province is famous as the gateway to the Andaman sea and for hot springs.

The airline expects a 65 percent load factor on the Bangkok-Ranong route in the first six months of operation.

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