Thailand: Thai Air Asia airlines (Thai Airasia) today inaugurated their new Bangkok-Narathiwat route with hopes to fill up to 70% of the available seats to help stimulating tourism to the provinces of South Thailand.

The director of Thai Air Asia airlines, Tasapol Blackweld said that the Bangkok-Narathiwat route had been initiated with the goal to make Narathiwat airport an aviation hub to connect travelers to the three border provinces of South Thailand.

Narathiwat airport will soon become a major air hub and help lighten the air traffic congestion at Hat Yai airport in Songkhla province, he further added.

The Thai AirAsia airline in Thailand is a joint venture between Shin Corporation and AirAsia Malaysia, offering budget and low-cost air travel within Thailand and to neighboring Asian countries.

A 60% seat occupancy is projected for the initial period of service in a 120-seat airplane that operates return flights 3 times a week between Bangkok and Narathiwat Province. The occupancy rate is expected to afterwards rise to 70%

The governor of Narathiwat, Pracha Terat said the new flight connection would helps facilitate the transport of tourists to Narathiwat province and the surrounding southern region considerably. He added that the new government of Thailand should soon be able to restore peace in the deep southern border region within the next months to come.

Commercial airline flights between Bangkok and Narathiwat airport had been suspended long time ago due to security concerns and thin passenger traffic.