THAI launch nonstop flights between Bangkok and BRU
New direct flights prove potential for more direct flights to Asia.
Brussels Airport, 27 June 2011 - Thai Airways International has announced the start of a nonstop passenger service between Brussels Airport and Bangkok as of 17 November 2011. The three weekly flights to the Thai capital will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using Boeing 777-200ER.
Although in recent years Brussels Airport succeeded in attracting two strong Asian carriers (Hainan Airlines and Jet Airways), the number of direct flights from Brussels to destinations in South-East Asia remains rather limited. Meanwhile Bangkok in particular grew into one of the major destinations not being served nonstop from Brussels.
The return of Thai Airways International to Brussels Airport should also be seen in the light of the growing activity at Brussels Airport by the Star Alliance – of which Thai Airways International is a member. Recently several other members of the alliance expanded their service. Last year United Airlines added a direct daily service to Chicago and Air Canada opened a direct route from Brussels to Montreal. In the intra-European segment, Blue1 started operating to Brussels from Helsinki and Aegean Airlines expanded its service to Athens.
With flights scheduled to arrive at Brussels Airport at 6.45 am and to return to Bangkok at 1.30 pm, the new service operated by Thai Airways International will offer convenient connecting times with the extended European and African networks served by Brussels Airlines and other Star Alliance partners. Likewise, the carrier’s hub in Bangkok will allow passengers to connect conveniently to one of the many domestic and Asian destinations operated by Thai Airways International.
Brussels Airport is very pleased about the announced nonstop route. Brussels Airport CEO, Arnaud Feist, explains: “The growing activities of the Star Alliance, of which Brussels Airlines too is a member, are very important to the future development of Brussels Airport and the route network operated from our airport. Thai Airways International is the first South-East Asian carrier to return to Brussels Airport after an absence of almost exactly ten years”.