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Thai Smile Commences Operations From Don Mueang
20th Aug 2014
The so-called lower-cost airline has inaugurated its commercial operations from its new hub on August 8, after its mother unit decided to move its base of operations from Suvarnabhumi Airport early this year.
The aim was to better position itself against its rivals, who have been operating from Asia's oldest airport since the government ordered the reopening of the facility due to the growing traffic in the newer and bigger Suvarnabhumi Airport, which was already nearing capacity by then.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is designed to handle 45 million passengers annually, but its capacity has been breached since 2011, when it handled more than 47 million. In 2012 alone, it handled over 53 million, which prompted airport officials to expand the airport and raise its capacity to 65 million by 2018'its target completion date.
Don Mueang, meanwhile, is undergoing an expansion on its own to accommodate a growing traffic, as it is designated as the country's low-cost hub.
The relocation of some of Thai Smile's operations to Don Mueang signals the airline's serious attempt to wrestle from its rivals the crown of being the country's largest carrier by market share. Currently, Nok Air reigns supreme in the domestic travel market.
Nok Air initially operates only three of its busiest routes from Don Mueang Airport'Don Mueang-Chiang Mai, Don Mueang-Phuket, and Don Mueang-Khon Kaen. Weeks ahead of its scheduled transfer to its current hub, the airline launched a ticket promo as a marketing campaign to announce its move.
The promo surprisingly was well-received by the traveling public, posting a high 90% average of available seats in all three routes.
Thai Airways and all its subsidiaries are planning to desert Suvarnabhumi Airport in favor of Don Mueang Airport by October this year. Together, they will create flight schedules that would complement each of their flights for a smoother and hassle-free travel for customers who have connecting flights to both domestic and international destinations.
Thai Smile is confident that it would be able to attract more customers from its new hub given its location within Bangkok.
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