BANGKOK, 2 August 2024: AirAsia Thailand continues expanding in India by introducing direct flights from Phuket to Chennai and Kolkata, effective late October.
Indian travellers enjoy a 60-day visa-free stay in Thailand following a recent liberalisation of visa rules, which is driving an uptick in tourist arrivals to Thailand’s southern beach resorts and the capital, Bangkok. Over 1 million Indians visited Thailand during the first six months of 2024.
The new flight services, set to take off on 27 October 2024, will enable travellers from two of India’s key cities to fly directly to Phuket, Thailand’s top tourist island.
Phuket to Chennai
The Phuket-Chennai route will kick off with three flights weekly on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Trip.com quotes a roundtrip fare of USD237 for the three-hour and 10-minute flight using A320s.
Flight FD192 departs Phuket (HKT) at 2350 and arrives in Chennai (MAA) at 0135 (plus a day)
Flight FD193 departs Chennai at 0205 and arrives in Phuket at 0645.
Phuket to Kolkata
The low-cost airline will schedule daily flights on the Phuket-Kolkata route. Trip.com quotes a roundtrip fare of USD218 (flight time three hours and 10 minutes).
Flight FD186 departs Phuket (HKT) at 2350 and arrives in Kolkata (CCU) at 0125 (plus a day).
Flight FD187 departs Kolkata at 0345 and arrives in Phuket at 0820.
Fares in the Thai market
Promotional fares ex-Thailand for both routes start at THB2,990 one-way and are available for booking until 11 August 2024 for travel between 27 October 2024 and 29 March 2025. Booking should be made on the AirAsia MOVE app or the airasia.com website.
Thai AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Santisuk Klongchaiya said: “AirAsia has long awaited the opportunity to expand its network to the major metro cities of India. Following the Thai government successfully negotiating aviation rights with India, AirAsia is now fully ready to add connections between both countries. (We are) extending our international network beyond Bangkok by establishing direct routes from our Phuket hub.”
Phuket is a popular destination for travellers worldwide, and India is one of the strongest source markets for the holiday island since the pandemic. The island province is blessed with stunning white sandy beaches on its west coast facing the Andaman Sea, national marine parks, collections of art and cultural sights in its old city, and fresh seafood.
Kolkata, the former capital of India, is today a hub of cutting-edge education and culture. It features Western colonial architecture at spots like the Victoria Memorial, a white marble monument to Queen Victoria boasting essential colonial designs, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, a majestic Indo-Gothic church.
Chennai acts as a gateway to southern India, welcoming visitors with its Marina Beach, the second-largest urban beach in the world, and a kaleidoscope of religious sites.
“Bridging travel between our two nations will promote tourism and business, bolstering our economies. We believe these routes will meet the needs of the Indian people, international travellers in Thailand, and the Thai people themselves looking to make their way to India,” Santisuk explained.
AirAsia Thailand now flies to 12 cities in India: Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Bangalore, Gaya, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Tiruchirappalli, and the newest addition, Hyderabad. It offers 67 flights per week between the two countries.
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