Travel Market Is Concerned About Excess of Air Traffic to Thailand

[IMG=20729-6499] The forecasted increase in demand for Thailand could not but influenced air traffic plans of tour operators. After interviewing tour operators BANKO correspondent found out that in winter season air traffic volume to Bangkok and popular resorts might double. In particular, such proportion of increase is expected from Transaero. ‘They plan to operate daily flights to Thailand by Boeing-747: seven flights to the continent and two to the islands’, said an anonymous expert. According to him the airline’s aim is the conquer of the destination and a possibility to control prices. At the moment the information is not confirmed by Transaero. Sergey Bikhal, PR Director of Transaero, said he was not ready to comment on the situation on the Thai destination. Meanwhile, experts believe Thai Airlines and Aeroflot will also influence the market. However, both airlines will realize most of air traffic at ‘scheduled’ prices. At the moment flight plans of Kras Air are still an intrigue (its flights were previously consolidated by Biblio-Globus). It is not excluded the airline will join the others on the Thai destination. Furthermore, a considerable increase of air traffic volume to Thailand the destination might become an arena for serious dumping processes at the beginning of the season. We remind you that in November 2005 plane tickets to Bangkok were offered for $350, tour packages for $400–600. Meanwhile, there is one more reason for the concern of travel market players – new airport in Bangok (Suvarnabhumi), to where Thai Airlines plan to operate flights starting from the end of August. According to the source in Thailand, there are some problems in the terminal: ‘offices of airlines are not ready, meeting zones are not equipped’, made an example, Nikolay Salikhov, the Head of Ivan Susanin.