Koh Phangan flights to start next year
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Flights to the Thai resort island of Koh Phangan will commence next year, the head of the airline operating the route has revealed.
Speaking to the Bangkok Post, Kan Air’s founder & CEO, Somphong Sooksanguan, said the party island’s new airport is expected to be ready in mid-2014, with direct flights from Bangkok likely to commence shortly afterwards.
Kan Air is also responsible for developing the THB900 million (US$28m) airport, which will feature a 1,100-metre-long runway and thatched-roof terminal. According to Somphong, the new airport is currently about 40% complete.
Somphong also told the newspaper that his airline is planning to acquire up to four Bombardier Q400 aircraft to launch the Bangkok-Koh Phangan route. These turboprop planes will be able to carry up to 78 passengers to the island, with Kan expecting to operate up to eight daily flights from Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports.
Koh Phangan, which is famous for its full moon parties, is currently only accessible by ferry from nearby Koh Samui or the mainland province of Surat Thani. The new airport however, will allow visitors to fly directly into the eastern side of the island, close to the main resort and party area of Haad Rin.
Based in Chiang Mai, Kan Air launched its first flights in 2011 and now operates to regional hubs including Mae Hong Son, Pai, Phitsanulok and Nan. But the airline has significant expansion plans, and has partnered Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet Air on its new Bangkok-based venture.
As well as Koh Phangan Airport, Kan Air was also reported to be considering the development of an airport in southern Thailand’s Satun province, which would improve access to the resort islands of Koh Lipe and Koh Tarutao.
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