Renewed hope for Guwahati flights

THAILAND may once again attempt to launch flight services between Guwahati in the Assam region of India and Bangkok.

The once-highly anticipated route was cancelled after not proving popular with with passengers, but now industry chiefs are looking at restalling the route .

In meetings with chief minister Tarun Gogoi and industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi, a Thai delegation team discussed the logistics of relaunching the flight. The delegation included officials from Thai Airways, the ambassador to India, Krit Kraichitti, and other aviation players.

The move could boost tourism between the two countries further being encouraged by India’s Look East policy. The ITFAA has been pushing for a reopening of the route which would increase India tourists to Bangkok and the rest of Thailand. The route previously ran from April, 2002, until July, 2008, when it was cancelled for huge losses when popularity died down for the service.

“The ambassador was convinced and therefore decided to make an on-the-field assessment of the prospects,” an ITFAA official told The Telegraph. Further meetings are scheduled with the Airports Authority of India to discuss the details, including the facilities of the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, to reopening the route from both cities.