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Airbus A380 arrives September 1

“A class beyond First” planned for A380

On a wing and a…

Five countries - one visa

Airbus A380 arrives September 1

Arrives at 10:30am says Airbus official

The Chiang Mai International airport will host the world’s largest plane on Saturday, September 1st as it arrives for a demonstration tour.
According to Ms. Maetavarin, Senior Consultant for the Airbus, the superjumbo is scheduled to land at Chiang Mai Airport at 10:30am and will depart at 3:00pm that afternoon.
Members of the press, VIPs, government officials and other dignitaries have been invited for a tour of the plane.
The Chiangmai Mail will be part of the tour and have a full report in the September 4th issue.
At press time airport officials had not provided details on where the public could view the Airbus A380. (CMM Reporters)

“A class beyond First” planned for A380

A new service class called Singapore Airlines Suites will be unveiled on the first Airbus 380 to go into commercial service.
Described as “a class beyond First”, Singapore Airlines said it “will be a product that totally redefines luxury in the sky”.
The other two classes on the 471-seat aircraft are business and economy classes.
Singapore Airlines will receive the world’s first A380 aircraft from Airbus on October 15 in a ceremony in Toulouse, France. It will be flown to Singapore’s Changi Airport a few days after the delivery.
The inaugural flight, SQ380, will take off from Singapore to Sydney on October 25 and returns the next day. TTG

On a wing and a…

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport wants to become one of the world’s top 20 airports next year and to subsequently rank among the top 10 in 2009, says the airport’s general manager, Mr Serirat Prasutanond.
The airport, which started operations on September 28 last year, has served 35 million passengers in its first 10 months and is expected to reach 40 million passengers by its first anniversary. Its maximum handling capacity is 45 million passengers per year.
Mr Serirat said the airport was ready to enter its second year although he admitted it had been a tough first year. “We have been trying hard to fix all the problems and at the same time to raise our standards with an aim to become a one-stop aviation service hub.”
The airport established six teams to improve upon key areas: airport facilities and services, collaboration with airlines and government bodies, commercial airport management, security management system, airport service mindedness and airport environment.
He said the airport was taking part in a survey on airport service quality conducted by Airport Council International and results would be released by October.
Meanwhile, Airports of Thailand (AoT) plans to develop a 160-hectare plot of land near Suvarnabhumi Airport into a commercial complex comprising a hotel, exhibition hall and retail shops. Construction is likely to start next year and AoT is considering either investing in the project itself or allowing private investments. TTG

Five countries - one visa

Bangkok Airways is lobbying for the introduction of a Mekong visa to facilitate tourist travel through the Mekong region.
President and CEO, Mr. Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, said the airline had been in talks with government bodies in the five Mekong countries - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam - to formulate the initiative.
The airline’s idea is for Thai and foreign visitors to be able to travel to the five countries under just one visa and use just one air ticket for all connecting flights. The scheme is in line with Bangkok Airways’ positioning itself as a feeder airline linking Thailand with the four Mekong countries. Mr Prasert said: “We expect to complete our route network connecting Thailand with at least three cities in each Mekong country by the end of next year.”
At the moment, the airline already covers three cities in Laos - Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse - and two cities each in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Cities in the pipeline are Sihanoukville in Cambodia, Danang in Vietnam and a beach resort town in Myanmar.
However, the closest thing to a Mekong visa so far is the single-visa policy to be offered by Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodia’s tourism minister, Dr Thong Khon, said the two kingdom’s single-visa pack would be in place by the end of this year. TTG

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