Thai to operate flights to Gaya, Varanasi, Hyderabad

Varanasi, Oct 20 (UNI) Thai Airways International today unveiled plans to connect to three new destinations in the country -- Varanasi, Gaya and Hyderabad -- from October 30, making it the single largest carrier operating from India to Bangkok.

Thai Airways General Manager (India) Viroj Sirihorachai today told newspersons ''we will be adding flights to Gaya, the Buddhist pilgrimage and Varanasi from October 30.'' The thrice a week Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi TG8820 flight will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while on the same weekdays Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok TG8821 will fly to the Thai capital.

He said Thai Airways decided to operate scheduled flights to the Buddhist sector as against chartered flight earlier, as part of their committment to operate on these routes keeping in mind the growing passenger demand.

The B-737-400 aircraft has a 147 seating capacity, including 12 seats in Royal Silk Class (business class) and 135 seats in economy class.

Mr Sirihorachai added that flights to the third new destination -- Hyderabad -- will also commence from October 30, operating thrice a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) non-stop to-and-fro the Thailand capital.

With the addition of three new destinations, Thai Airways will operate to eight Indian cities, with 40 departures from India, making it the single largest carrier from India to Bangkok, he added.

Meanwhile, Assistant Director (India Tourism-Varanasi) R K Bhati told UNI the new flight is likely to boost Buddhist tourist traffic in the country, especially to Buddhist pilgrimage of Bodh Gaya in Gaya (Bihar), Sarnath in Varanasi and Kushinagar also in East Uttar Pradesh.

The scheduled Thai Airways flight connecting Gaya and Bangkok, is also likely to prompt Indian (earlier Indian Airlines) to resume regular flights from Gaya to Thailand, which it abandoned in the past due to paucity of passengers on the route, Mr Bhati maintained.

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