Leading LCC Thai AirAsia has announced flights between Bangkok (Don Mueang) and the Maldives commencing August 11th.
Currently Bangkok Airways flies the route from Suvarnabhumi, though with TAA coming on-stream, airfares will invariably become more competitive.
Two other low-cost airlines currently fly to the Maldives being AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur and a later entry Singapore’s Tiger Airways.
Thai AirAsia is likely to pick up traction by means of the Mainland Chinese segment who are the Maldives largest geographic source market.
Last year airline carrier Mega Maldives sharply reduced direct flights from China which has left a gap that TAA may very well fill.
As for the glitter in top end travelers to the Maldives, with three LCC’s now plying routes, the mainstream is now a given in one of the world’s most expensive travel destinations.
Bill Barnett is the Founder and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, who are a leading consulting firm specializing in hotels, tourism and property development in Asia Pacific. C9 assists developers, private equity and financial institutions, and investors in providing market research, feasibility studies, hotel operator negotiations, asset management and transaction/due diligence support.
From their base of operations in Thailand the group is considered a leading regional player in market intelligence, and publish regular industry updates.
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