Flights to Burma back to normal as clean-up begins

Nation May 7, 2008

Travel agents say great damage inflicted

Flights between Bangkok and Rangoon have returned to normal following last weekend's cyclone that devastated Burma's Irrawaddy Delta region.

Three Thai carriers, Thai Airways International, Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways, cancelled flights at the weekend as passengers postponed their travel plans.

Budget carrier Thai AirAsia cancelled all flights between Bangkok and Rangoon on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday it not only operated its two regular daily services, but flew an additional Bangkok-Rangoon-Bangkok service for passengers unable to fly earlier.

A representative of the airline said its services were now back to normal, with two daily return flights between Bangkok and Rangoon.

A Bangkok Airways source said the airline cancelled one flight from Bangkok to Rangoon on Sunday.

However, its operations have returned to normal with four return flights per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using Airbus A320 aircraft.

National carrier Thai Airways International is operating its two daily services between Bangkok and Rangoon normally. An airline source said two return services between Bangkok and Rangoon on had been cancelled on Saturday.

Thai Travel Agents' Association president Anake Srichevachart said the storm had inflicted great damage on Burma's tourism industry. Many Thai and Western travellers have postponed travel to Burma.

However, he believes the situation will improve from today.

"Storms are a natural incident, and are not as dangerous as riots or terrorism, so people can still travel to Burma. However, it might not be convenient to have a vacation there," Anake said.

Association of Thai Travel Agents president Apichart Sankary said Burma was not a popular destination for international tourists, so the country's tourism was not a big matter. Only some individual tourists from Germany and Scandinavian countries wanted to go to Burma.

"I will be in Burma later this month to see what tourism products they have, and how to promote them to Thai tourists," he said.

Source