ID :
33552
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 15:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/33552
The shortlink copeid
DEMAND FOR PRIVATE JETS IN THAILAND RISES
By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- With major airports in the capital closed and the Utapao Airport heavily congested, wealthy tourists and businessmen stranded in Thailand are grabbing limited seats on private jets that cost them from as low as US$3,400 each to fly them out of the country.
Among the much-sought destinations are Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, where
connecting flights to the rest of the world are easily available.
"Our flights are fully booked until the end of the week. Normally, we fly
several times a week to take businessmen and tourists to Chiang Mai, Koh Samui,
Luang Prabang (Laos), Hanoi and Singapore," an executive of Mjets, a private
charter plane operator, said when contacted.
But since the closure of the Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Airports by
anti-government protesters last Monday, the company's four-seater Piper Malibu
Mirage and seven-seater CJ3 Twin jets were fully booked, operating two to three
flights a day each to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
There has been a surge in demand for the past week and the few private jet
operators in the country are getting brisk business as the Utapao Airport near
Pattaya, currently used by airlines, could only accommodate a limited number of
flights.
With a single terminal, one x-ray machine, three check-in counters and no
first and business class lounges at the Utapao Airport, passengers have to queue
for hours to clear immigration and board their respective planes.
The executive said the two-year-old airline offers a package of US$9,000
for two persons on the Malibu Jet flying from Hua Hin, about 90km from Bangkok,
to Singapore while a seven-person package on the same route using CJ3 cost
US$24,000.
The strong demand for private jets is expected to last for the next one to
two weeks as the Airport of Thailand (AOT) has said that the two airports cannot
be opened quickly once the protesters leave as both need to be examined and
issued with re-certification by the Department of Civil Aviation and
international aviation authorities.
The closure of the two airports has stranded over 300,000 passengers and
AOT is now allowing airlines to operate more international flights out of Hua
Hin, Phitsanulok, Rayong, Koh Samui and Nakhorn Ratchasima, on top of the
increase in daily operations at the Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi international
airports.
It has also opened two city check-in counters at the Centara Grand Hotel in
the city centre and the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre
(Bitec) in Bangna to ease the congestion at the Utapao Airport.
BANGKOK, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- With major airports in the capital closed and the Utapao Airport heavily congested, wealthy tourists and businessmen stranded in Thailand are grabbing limited seats on private jets that cost them from as low as US$3,400 each to fly them out of the country.
Among the much-sought destinations are Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, where
connecting flights to the rest of the world are easily available.
"Our flights are fully booked until the end of the week. Normally, we fly
several times a week to take businessmen and tourists to Chiang Mai, Koh Samui,
Luang Prabang (Laos), Hanoi and Singapore," an executive of Mjets, a private
charter plane operator, said when contacted.
But since the closure of the Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Airports by
anti-government protesters last Monday, the company's four-seater Piper Malibu
Mirage and seven-seater CJ3 Twin jets were fully booked, operating two to three
flights a day each to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
There has been a surge in demand for the past week and the few private jet
operators in the country are getting brisk business as the Utapao Airport near
Pattaya, currently used by airlines, could only accommodate a limited number of
flights.
With a single terminal, one x-ray machine, three check-in counters and no
first and business class lounges at the Utapao Airport, passengers have to queue
for hours to clear immigration and board their respective planes.
The executive said the two-year-old airline offers a package of US$9,000
for two persons on the Malibu Jet flying from Hua Hin, about 90km from Bangkok,
to Singapore while a seven-person package on the same route using CJ3 cost
US$24,000.
The strong demand for private jets is expected to last for the next one to
two weeks as the Airport of Thailand (AOT) has said that the two airports cannot
be opened quickly once the protesters leave as both need to be examined and
issued with re-certification by the Department of Civil Aviation and
international aviation authorities.
The closure of the two airports has stranded over 300,000 passengers and
AOT is now allowing airlines to operate more international flights out of Hua
Hin, Phitsanulok, Rayong, Koh Samui and Nakhorn Ratchasima, on top of the
increase in daily operations at the Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi international
airports.
It has also opened two city check-in counters at the Centara Grand Hotel in
the city centre and the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre
(Bitec) in Bangna to ease the congestion at the Utapao Airport.
