AirAsia has confirmed that it will transfer all Bangkok operations to the city’s Don Mueang International Airport by 1 October 2012.
Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, said that the decision to move from the overcrowded Suvarnabhumi airport to the smaller Don Mueang was taken “in line with AirAsia’s own growth plan”, and would enable the airline to “manage its cost more effectively and provide passengers with improved service”.
“The uncongested Don Mueang airport is sure to prove a benefit to AirAsia when it boosts its fleet of Airbus A320s to a total of 48 and welcomes more customers,” Bijleveld said. “The airport’s location also makes it conducive to further travel. Prospective travelers should have confidence in what Don Mueang has to offer.”
Don Mueang, located in the north of Bangkok, was Thailand’s main gateway airport until Suvarnabhumi opened in 2006. Since then, passenger traffic has shrunk from more than 38 million passengers per year to fewer than three million. By contrast, Suvarnabhumi has expanded faster than expected, and less than six years after it opened it is already operating over its 45 million annual passenger capacity.
