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AirAsia opens route to Phuket, eyes Brunei, Philippines
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 11/03/2009 3:42 PM | Business
Low-fare airline AirAsia has just opened its newest routes connecting Thailand's beach city Phuket with two Indonesian cities, Medan and Jakarta.
Capt. Dharmadi, the CEO of PT. Indonesia Air Asia, said Tuesday that the routes would not only benefit Thailand's tourism, but also Indonesia's.
"We know that Phuket is full with foreign tourists. By opening this routes, we are also targeting such tourists in addition to Thai people themselves, to come to Indonesia," he told The Jakarta Post during an event to launch the new routes in Jakarta.
Phuket is the ninth foreign city to be connected to Indonesia by AirAsia after Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Perth, and Bangkok.
AirAsia is the first airline serving direct flight from Indonesia to Phuket.
Dharmadi said he was optimistic that the Phuket's routes would not be deserted.
"Our international load factor is now about 75 percent," he said.
AirAsia sells the Medan-Phuket ticket at Rp 99,000 (US$10) and Jakarta-Phuket at Rp 199,000 at the cheapest.
AirAsia was now eyeing Manila in the Philippines and Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei Darussalam as its next international destinations, Dharmadi said.
Indonesia AirAsia flew 2.5 million people in 2008 and is targeting to fly 3 million people this year.
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