Bangkok Airways eyes 3 routes in Myanmar and Vietnam

Bangkok Airways eyes 3 routes in Myanmar and Vietnam

Puttipong: Vietnam's biggest island a draw
Puttipong: Vietnam's biggest island a draw

Bangkok Airways has set its sights on covering two additional Myanmar cities and a second Vietnamese destination as part of a regional expansion.

Bangkok Airways hopes to secure regulatory approval from Myanmar civil aviation authorities for the two routes, a process that may take up to eight months. But the carrier is not in a rush to launch the two new Myanmar routes, expecting to put them on its flight roster during the winter season, starting at the end of October.

Bangkok Airways plans to use ATR-72 turboprop aircraft on the three proposed routes.

The launch of Chiang Mai-Bagan and Bangkok-Myeik will further consolidate Bangkok Airways' coverage in Myanmar, where the group already provides the most number of connections to Thailand by any airline.

The carrier has been operating five routes to Myanmar: from Bangkok to Yangon, Mandalay and the capital, Nay Pyi Taw; and from Chiang Mai to Yangon and Mandalay.

Myeik in Myanmar's extreme south and the ancient city of Bagan are emerging markets for air travel.

Bangkok Airways is also in talks with its code-share airline partners, now numbering 21, to craft a plan for the launch of regular flights to the tear-shaped island of Phu Quoc, which is increasingly favoured as a beach escape for Western expats and sun-seeking tourists.

"We know there are some 10 flights a day from Hanoi to Phu Quoc, and that says something about its attractiveness as a destination market," Capt Puttipong told the Bangkok Post.

Phu Quoc has emerged as the next sought-after Vietnamese destination for Bangkok Airways after it started regular flights from Bangkok to Danang on May 25.

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