31.5.2011
Thai Airways to operate direct service from Copenhagen to Phuket

Thai Airways is going to open a new service from Copenhagen Airport to Phuket in southern Thailand. The service will be launched on 4 November 2011 with three weekly frequencies to the Thai holiday island using Boeing 747 jumbo jets. This will be the first direct service by Thai Airways between Europe and Phuket.

Phuket, Thailand is one of the preferred winter destinations for Scandinavians, and sun-starved Danes and Swedes will now for the first time have the option of taking a direct flight to this tropical holiday island. On 4 November 2011, Thai Airways will open a new direct service from Copenhagen to Phuket with three weekly frequencies during the winter season until the end of March. This is Thai Airways’  first direct service between Europe and Phuket.

Thai Airways will be using Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets seating more than 389 passengers on the new service. Thai Airways also uses this type of aircraft on its existing service with daily flights from Copenhagen to Bangkok. The flights for Phuket will leave Copenhagen on at 8.25 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and arrive at Phuket the next day at 1.20 p.m. local time. The flights to Copenhagen will stop at Bangkok.

Fierce battle for new route
“We are very proud that Thai Airways has decided to open a second service out of Copenhagen. Airports in Europe have been competing fiercely to win this new route as the airline only has one aircraft available for a new route from Europe in 2011. The choice of Copenhagen Airport emphasises our position as the largest airport in Scandinavia and one of the most important Star Alliance hubs in Europe,” said Carsten Nørland, VP, Sales and Marketing for Copenhagen Airport.

Fewer intermediate stops for travellers from northern Europe
“We expect that the new winter service will attract passengers from all of northern Europe as it will give them the opportunity to travel to Phuket with fewer intermediate stops. Passengers travelling from Stavanger, Norway, to Phuket will not have to travel to Oslo first, then from Oslo to Bangkok, and finally from Bangkok to Phuket. Instead, they can fly SAS direct to Copenhagen and then on our direct Copenhagen –Phuket service,” said Flemming Sonne, Sales Manager, Thai Airways, Denmark.

In recent years, large numbers of Scandinavian leisure travellers have travelled to Thailand and Phuket, which offers sun, warm weather and white sandy beaches during the dark and cold winter of the north. In 2010 alone, more than 124,000 passengers travelled from Denmark to Thailand, while the number of passengers travelling from Scandinavia to Phuket rose by 24% year on year.