Orient Thai Airlines says it is happy about the move back to Don Mueang Airport Bangkok for low-cost airlines. Orient Airlines current base is Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Orient Thai Airlines said it would start next week to resume some domestic flights from Don Mueang Airport. Its charter flights will follow later, but need one or two months to make the move because tickets have been booked in advance.
AirAsia, was not available for comment yesterday. However, the company's head of public relations said it also welcomed the move regarding Don Mueang Airport, which was initiated to reduce congestion at Suvarnabhumi Airport. However, the company is still discussing the matter and will hold a press conference on its decision next week.
Currently only Nok Air, another low-cost carrier, runs its operations from Don Mueang Airport.
Recently, the government announced incentives for low-cost airlines to persuade them to return to Don Mueang. Among these are a 30-per-cent discount on landing and parking fees and a 10-per-cent discount on office rent. Incentives will be finalised by Airports of Thailand this week.
People working in the tourism industry believe the Don Mueang decision will give a boost to their sector, especially by increasing Bangkok's overall airport capacity and providing more convenience to passengers.
The Tourism Council of Thailand, said it was a good idea to promote Don Mueang as a hub for low-cost airlines because the airport can welcome more than 25 million passengers annually. Clearly, it will help reduce congestion at Suvarnabhumi, which can practically serve only 45 million people a year, but now faces over-capacity at 55 million passengers. The congestion creates knock-on problems for the immigration process and air traffic from takeoff to landing.
The combined capacity of the two airports is 70 million passengers per year. Therefore, the Don Mueang move is in line with the government's policy to promote Thailand as a gateway to Asean tourism.
Having two airports is common in other countries' major cities and passengers can understand Thailand's situation. However, the government needs to build improve logistical connections between the two, industry observers say.
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