Bangkok Airways launch flight service to Bangalore

BANGALORE: Private airline Bangkok Airways today launched a direct flight to Bangalore, seeking to tap the tourist traveller segment and students from Thailand pursuing studies here.

With the launch of the service, Bangalore become the second destination for the airline in India after Mumbai.

The airline will operate five flights a week, with no service on Mondays and Fridays. It will add two more flights by December, Bangkok Airways President Puttipong Prasarttong Osoth told a news conference here.

From Bangkok, the flight would operate on five days, barring Thursdays and Sundays, he said.

He claimed its existing Mumbai-Bangkok flight has received a very good response, with 70 per cent seat occupancy.

"A lot of people come here from Thailand for studies. They travel between Bangalore and Bangkok. The city, a IT hub, also offers vast potential for tourists travelling to Bangkok," he said.

Stating that India is a growing economy and Bangkok sees vast potential in it, he said the airline was looking at expanding its operations to Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Chennai in the near future.

Lucknow is the next destination being considered for a direct flight, he said.

Meanwhile, the airline is in discussions with Kingfisher Airlines on co-sharing of operations, Bangkok Airways Vice-President (Corporate Communication) M L Nandhika Varavaran said.