Thai AirAsia (TAA) has chosen the southern Chinese cities of Nanning and Nanchang for inaugural routes from its new base at U-tapao airport.
The no-frills carrier will offer four flights a week from the navy-operated airport in Rayong province to Nanning and three a week to Nanchang, beginning on Sept 25 and Sept 26, respectively.
These routes will herald the creation of a greater network from U-tapao to other international and domestic destinations towards this year-end.
TAA's launch of services to Nanning and Nanchang will make the US-built airfield, a major staging and refuelling base during the Vietnam War, more visible on the commercial aviation network.
It comes on the heels of AirAsia Malaysia's July 15 inauguration of regular flights from Kuala Lumpur to U-tapao that triggered traffic flow unseen at the airfield since its handover by the US in August 1966.
AirAsia Malaysia became the first budget carrier to operate scheduled services, now at four flights a week, with the 180-seat Airbus 320 to U-tapao, which has largely served international charter airlines bringing Russian and Chinese tourists to nearby Pattaya.
TAA chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld believes TAA's services to Nanning and Nanchang from U-tapao will give a boost to tourism to Pattaya by bringing new visitors from China.
Thai travellers will also have easy and low-cost options to visit the southwest and southeast Chinese cities.
Nanchang has attractive sites such as Lushan Mountain and Wuyuan village.
Nanning is an important economic city with easy connections to Guilin, which is renowned for its scenery and is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.
TAA plans to station two Airbus A320s at U-tapao, the airline's fifth base after Don Mueang in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi.