Wednesday, December 3, 2008

AirAsia sends emergency jets to Bangkok

MALAYSIAN BUDGET carrier AirAsia Berhad is sending emergency jets to Bangkok until Dec. 4 to pick up passengers stranded by the closure of two airports seized by Thai protesters, the airline said in a statement yesterday.

AirAsia was scheduled to operate two return flights each from Bangkok to Hongkong and Singapore today. The aircrafts will land at the Thai naval base U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield.

The low-cost airline is also operating one return flight each from Bangkok to Macau, Shenzhen, and Chiang Mai, and Phuket in Thailand. From the last two sites, AirAsia is operating return flights to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Passengers leaving Bangkok will be shuttled for free from the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center in Bangna to U-Tapao. Passengers arriving in Bangkok via U-Tapao, meanwhile, will be transported to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar in the city center.

Tomorrow, AirAsia will fly the same routes, but will double its return flights from Bangkok to Macau and will not send rescue flights to Shenzhen anymore.

Stranded AirAsia ticket holders were advised to visit the company Web site for departure times. Other guests who wish to board the rescue flights must transact with the airline’s sales counters.

AirAsia has been operating these flights daily since Nov. 28, initially flying only between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

Local carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have also sent emergency jets to Thailand early this week. Flights of both airlines to Bangkok have been canceled since Nov. 26, when anti-government protesters took over Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand’s main gateway, and later, the secondary gateway of Don Mueang International Airport, in an attempt to oust the prime minister.

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