SilkAir to fly to Thailand’s Koh Samui

From Sept 27, the airline will transport tourists to the site’s white sandy beaches and coral reefs.

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, is set to begin services to Koh Samui in Thailand from 27 September 2011.

Flights are scheduled to operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Koh Samui will be SilkAir’s third destination in Thailand, after Phuket and Chiang Mai.

The new services will be operated with the Airbus 319 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class cabins.

Bangkok Airways will be the codeshare partner on these flights. SilkAir will also codeshare on Bangkok Airways’ daily evening services between Singapore and Koh Samui, providing customers with more flight options. Currently, Bangkok Airways operates a daily non-stop service on this route with the same aircraft type, leaving Koh Samui at 1635hrs and departing from Singapore at 2010hrs.

“SilkAir is very excited to launch services to Koh Samui, which is renowned for its beautiful white sandy beaches and coral reefs, making it an ideal destination for tourists, honeymooning couples and those who just want to get away from the daily stresses of life.

“Koh Samui is popular with travellers seeking the ultimate tropical beach experience and SilkAir is well placed to meet this demand, with our extensive experience in flying to exotic regional destinations and our strong interconnectivity with the Singapore Airlines network,” said Chief Executive SilkAir, Mr Marvin Tan.

“Additionally, our codeshare arrangement with Bangkok Airways will enhance the connectivity between Singapore and Koh Samui and offer our customers more convenient connections and flexibility when planning their holidays,” added Mr Tan, in a SilkAir report.

Peter Wiesner, Bangkok Airways’ Senior Vice President for Network Management, said: “By having a codeshare arrangement on the Singapore-Koh Samui route, it actually allows us to drive more traffic into Koh Samui. We are planning on capturing traffic from Singapore as well as through traffic from long-haul routes connecting from a major aviation hub like Singapore Changi International Airport. Adding to this, passengers will benefit from better flight connectivity and accessibility as SilkAir operates a morning flight while Bangkok Airways an evening one.”

In addition to the Singapore–Koh Samui route, Bangkok Airways also codeshares on SilkAir’s Singapore–Chiang Mai and Singapore–Phuket routes. Likewise, SilkAir will codeshare on Bangkok Airways’ Bangkok-Samui, Samui-Phuket and Chiang Mai-Samui routes.