Thai AirAsia is expanding its fleet and beginning new daily services to India and Greater China later this year.
The airline plans to start flying from Bangkok to Taipei in September, before adding services to Mumbai and New Delhi in December. The mainland Chinese cities of Kunming, Chengdu and Guangzhou are to join the network around the same time, if not earlier.
Exact launch times will be announced once landing rights have been confirmed and the airline receives confirmation from Airbus of delivery dates for new aircraft.
Airbus is due to deliver three A320s narrow-body planes, each with 180 seats, between September and December. They will join the airline’s current fleet of 16 jets - nine A320s and seven Boeing B737-300s.
Two more A320s are due to join the fleet next year as some B737-300s are gradually phased out in a plan that calls for the order of 40 new A320s.
The planes will also be used for a second daily flight on the Bangkok-Hongkong route it introduced early this year.
Thai AirAsia’s current network covers 10 cities and 13 international destinations within a maximum flying time of four hours.
The airline will be the first low-cost carrier to fly between Thailand and India, opening a new segment in competition with full-service airlines.
For further details see www.airasia.com
Kenny Coyle
