Tweet "Coimbatore": May 2011

Malaysia-based airline Air Asia is planning to make Bangkok a hub for south Indian tourists who want to explore south East Asia. Currently, Air Asia flies only to Kuala Lumpur from south India. Soon, flights will be launched between Bangkok and Coimbatore. "A huge number of Indians fly to Bangkok which is less than two hours from Chennai and other cities in south India. So, we are planning to start services from Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy to Thailand by the end of the year," said Tony Fernandez, CEO of the airline.

Kuala Lumpur is nearly four hours from Chennai; yet the route was successful for the airline as a majority of Indians who wish to travel to south east Asian countries, China and Korea fly via the Malaysian capital. "Typically, more than 80% of the seats are booked in the route," he added.

The airline has found that Thailand a popular destination for Indians from southern states. Air Asia, which has been successful in south east Asia and Asean ( Association of South East Asian Nations) countries, is planning to aggressively promote the airline in south India. "We are considering flights to Phuket and Lankawi, two of the most popular destinations in Thailand for Indian tourists. The airline has been getting a lot of requests to fly direct to Lankawi," Fernandez said. Air Asia hopes that the two destinations will be a huge success as several tourists have expressed interest to fly direct to these destinations from south India, he added. The airline may also start services from Calicut. Market and route surveys are on for the project, said an Air Asia official.

As a majority of the people who visit Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands are from north India, Air Asia is also planning to start a flight from Amritsar to Kuala Lumpur. Genting Highlands receives several hundreds of north Indians the First World Hotel, which includes a mall, casino and a theme park, has a separate dining area for Indians.