AirAsia Flies the Singapore – Chiang Mai route

24 January 2011, Singapore – The inaugural flight for Thai AirAsia‘s FD4111 from Singapore to the Chiang Mai departed Changi at around 815pm today, slightly delayed from its scheduled departure timing at 745pm.   I was amongst the group of travel agents and media who were invited by AirAsia and Tourism Authority of Thailand to experience Chiang Mai.   Operating 1 daily flight from Singapore, this new route for AirAsia is another important milestone for AirAsia as guests can now look forward to better connectivity to Northern Thailand.   AirAsia also operates direct flights to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, Hat Yai, Phuket and Kuala Lumpur.

“We are very confident that the Chiang Mai hub will receive positive response as there is a huge demand from Singaporeans as they visit the attractive city and also travel onward to other popular destinations in Thailand. People from Chiang Mai will also benefit from this new service as Singapore is renowned as a shopping paradise, leisure centre and food haven. The new route is a significant achievement for us, as it signifies our drive and commitment in expanding our network, providing an extensive choice of destinations to our guests. With AirAsia’s excellent connectivity and low fares, communities in both Thailand and Singapore and the rest of the Asean region will now get to enjoy greater reach to many places and see more of the world with utmost convenience.

With the introduction of this route, our Singaporean guests can now reach Chiang Mai in 2 hours and 50 minutes without the hassle of transiting in Bangkok”, says Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia.

Be enthralled by nature’s waterfalls, mountains and lush landscape and cool climate in Chiang Mai.  Travelers can also appreciate the vibrant night markets, handicrafts and many individual artist boutiques here.   Lin Ping, the famous Thai-born panda resides in the Chiang Mai Zoo and you can also enjoy the company of tamed Tigers of various ages at the Tiger Kingdom.   Currently around 5 million people explore Chiang Mai every year and the numbers continue to grow.

“This is really great news for Chiang Mai and with greater accessibility to the city, there is no doubt that we can expect an increase in tourism and more people to visit the charming destination”, says Porntip Makornpan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand in Singapore.

To celebrate the opening of the new route, AirAsia’s “Simply Incredible Deals” offers a special all-inclusive one-way fare of SGD60 one-way from Singapore to Chiang Mai. Book your ticket today until the end of January 2011 for travel on 1 Feb-31 July 2011. For more information and to book online, please visit www.airasia.com.