Thai AirAsia eyes Hanoi-Bangkok route

Thai AirAsia eyes Hanoi-Bangkok route

HANOI: Thai AirAsia, a subsidiary of Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia, is expected to win a license to offer a cheap link between Hanoi and Bangkok, Vietnamese officials and the airline said on Thursday.

"The carrier plans to operate the route by mid-June," said Ho Quoc Cuong, deputy head of the air transportation department of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration.

"We are in the process of finalizing the paperwork. The license might be granted within one or two weeks," Cuong told AFP.

He said he was not aware of what fare prices the airline planned for the route.

In Bangkok, a Thai AirAsia spokeswoman confirmed the airline had asked for permission to fly to Hanoi.

"I cannot confirm when they will grant us the license but it is likely that we will get it. We plan to operate the route within three months as we expand to cover more Asian routes," she said.

The Thai carrier plans to operate seven flights a week between the two capitals.

Malaysia-based AirAsia owns 49 percent of Thai AirAsia, with Thailand's Shin Corp. holding 51 percent.

Singapore-based Tiger Airways was the first low-cost airline to begin operating flights to Vietnam on April 1.

More than 20 international airlines operate in the Vietnamese market.-- AFP