The European Union Blacklisted the Airline

Phuket Air (Phuket Airways Co. Ltd) was an airline based mostly in Bangkok, Thailand. The airline was an international scheduled carrier earlier than it shifted its focus to the ACMI/wet lease market. Other providers provided included international charter providers, ad hoc wet leasing services, religious pilgrimage charters (Hajj/Umrah) and dry lease providers. The airline specialised in leasing its fleet of Boeing 747 and 737 aircraft on an ACMI (Aircraft, Crews, Upkeep, Insurance coverage) as well as wet lease foundation to airlines worldwide needing additional passenger capability. In the past, the airline offered scheduled domestic and international air providers. Its primary base was at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, with a hub at Phuket Worldwide Airport, Phuket. Saudi Arabian Airlines was a major long run client of Phuket Air.

The airline was established in 1999 and started operations on December 19, 2001 with two Boeing 737-200 aircraft. Flight Worldwide. 2007-04-10. p. In 2010, Phuket Air transitioned to Boeing 747-four hundred aircraft below a new contract with Saudi Arabian Airways. Phuket Air was certainly one of the first few airways to attain this. In late 2006-07, the airline flew charters for the Saudi Arabia Ministry of the Interior flying out deportees. Textual content is out there under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; further terms may apply. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phuket Air. The airline then went on to concentrate on ACMI leasing, which the provider working for Saudi Arabian Airlines on chosen Hajj companies. Bodell, Luke (2020-12-01). “What Happened To Phuket Air’s Boeing 747s?”. Easy Flying. By utilizing this site, you comply with the Phrases of Use and Privateness Coverage. The airline was later faraway from the blacklist after complying with security audits. Along with flying several home routes, Phuket Air undertook worldwide routes to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dubai, Dhaka, Chittagong, Yangon and Incheon. The airline also operated charter flights to Bangkok and Phuket for tour operators from Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta and Manila. Ranong operations were utilized by tourists visiting the Andaman Club Lodge & On line casino, throughout the border in Myanmar. The European Union blacklisted the airline, banning it from flying to Europe. It additionally operated charter flights from Japan to Kuwait for the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Help Group. Underneath strain from a downturn in the tourism industry after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and struggling to keep up its fleet of ageing aircraft, Phuket Airways was plagued by poor service and security considerations. Phuket Air also operated to Chittagong, Bangladesh. As of February 2006, Phuket Air maintained one home route between Bangkok and Ranong and a global tour-bundle flight from Bangkok to Yangon, Myanmar. On 6 March 2007, the European Commission, the EU’s government arm, removed Phuket Air from its checklist of blacklisted airlines after Phuket Air complied with stringent security audits and inspections. It was owned and operated by Vikrom Aisiri and his spouse Angkana Apiwattanaporn. The airline rapidly expanded, adding Boeing 747-200, Boeing 747-300, NAMC YS-eleven turbo-prop and Boeing 757-200 aircraft to its fleet. Phuket Air was profitable in its bid to lease its Boeing 747-300 aircraft to Saudi Arabian Airlines. Phuket Air flew home routes to Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Ranong and Mae Sot. In the 2005-2006 Hajj season, Phuket Airways provided Boeing 747-200 and 747-300 aircraft on a short time period wet lease to Saudi Arabian Airlines. Phuket Air additionally operated Hajj and Umrah charter flights to Jeddah from Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh. In 2006 Phuket Air ceased all scheduled flights in and out of Thailand. This web page was final edited on 25 April 2024, at 19:27 (UTC). In October 2007, Phuket Airlines resumed operations and provided three Boeing 747-200/-300 aircraft to Saudi Arabian Airlines on a brief time period ACMI/wet lease contract for the Hajj charters. By the top of 2005, Phuket Air had scaled back its operations, laid off hundreds of its staff and determined to concentrate on leasing its aircraft to different carriers. The carrier commissioned Air France Industries, the aircraft upkeep-service arm of the French flag service, to assist lift Phuket Airways’ security requirements which was profitable in lifting the EU ban. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Basis, Inc., a non-revenue organization. Aisiri is a Thai businessman and senator from Ranong who also owns the Andaman Membership Hotel & Casino in Myanmar and a Dusit Island resort lodge in Chiang Rai Province. In May 2005 Phuket Air was banned from flying into the European Union, such flights to London and Amsterdam were suspended.