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Italy’s privately-owned airline Blue Panorama is to start twice weekly
scheduled services between the main fashion and commercial hub of Milan to
Bangkok on March 1.
Mr. Prakit Piriyakiet, Executive Director, Advertising and Public
Relations Department of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will be among the
officials welcoming the first flight when it arrives at Don Muang International
Airport on March 1, 2004, at 09.45 hrs.
The airline had been previously operating as a charter service since
25 December 2003.
TAT Governor Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan said the flights will boost air
capacity for the critical Italian market. “Demand is high but tour operators have long
faced a lack of seat capacity. The Blue Panorama services will play a major
role in raising travel between the two countries.”
She added, “Moreover, since Milan is Italy’s main business and
commercial city, as well as a major centre of fashion in Europe, the new route will bring
in more businesspersons to Thailand and also help strengthen contacts between Italian and Thai fashion and
jewellery designers.”
Visitor arrivals from Italy have seen no growth for the last six years,
primarily due to a shortage of airline seats following the pullout of Alitalia on
the Rome - Bangkok sector.
As of February 2004, a total of 11 direct scheduled flights are
operating between Bangkok - Rome by THAI Airways International and China Airlines.
In January - October 2003, international visitor arrivals from Italy to
Thailand totalled 71,421, a decline of 30.28% over 2002. Total arrivals in 2002 were
126,222 which is about the same as the 126,428 arrivals from Italy in 1993.
The Blue Panorama’s fleets include three Boeing 767-300Ers which
serves 274 seats, of which, 12 seats are in business class, and the rest are
economy class.
Set up in December 1998, Blue Panorama Airlines serves European
cities and the tourist resorts of the Mediterranean. In Asia, it also flies to Bali and
Male, capital of the Maldives islands in the Indian Ocean. |
