Jet to operate flights to Thailand from

Mumbai: Jet Airways, India's largest private airline has launched direct daily flights from Delhi and Kolkata to Bangkok - the 50 th destination on the airline's network.

Jet Airways, which has been designated by the government to operate air services on the India-Thailand route, will introduce two daily direct flights effective January 23, 2007.

Flight 9W 064 will depart Delhi at 0045 and arrive Bangkok at 0635 (local time). On the return sector, flight 9W 063 will depart Bangkok at 1805 (local time) and arrive Delhi at 2105.

The flight from Kolkata 9W 066 will depart at 1155 and reach Bangkok at 1615 (local time) while on the return sector, flight 9W 065 will depart Bangkok at 0920 (local time) and reach Kolkata at 1020.

The airline says it will deploy the brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with winglets, which will be inducted to its fleet next month, on the Bangkok route. This is the first time that the airline will operate inaugural flights between two metro cities in India and an international destination on the same day.

"Bangkok will be the 50th destination on our network and the third destination we operate to in the ASEAN region. With the strengthening of economic ties between India and Thailand, there has been a marked increase in business and tourist traffic between the two countries, which requires enhanced connectivity. Jet Airways will be fulfilling this need with 14 direct flights per week to Bangkok, seven each from Delhi and Kolkata," said Jet Airways chief executive officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer.

"Our Delhi-Bangkok flight will not only link the two capital cities but also offer convenient early morning connections to Bangkok and onwards to other cities in the ASEAN region. Kolkata will serve as the gateway to the Buddhist destinations in the eastern region of India. The early morning arrival into Kolkata from Bangkok would also provide convenient connections to other cities in India that are served by Jet Airways." he added.