Bangkok-Hualien direct charter flights from July 2nd now operated by Thai Oriental Airlines Boeing 767

▲ Hualien-Bangkok will make its first charter flight debut this July. (Photo / mimi Han)

Reported by Yu Jia-yun / Comprehensive report

Hualien will launch direct flights to Bangkok, Thailand starting July 2nd this year. Originally scheduled to be operated by VietJet Air, local tourism operators in Hualien have rearranged the schedule, and the flights will now be operated by the larger Thai Oriental Airlines Boeing 767 aircraft. The seating capacity has been increased from the originally planned 180 seats on VietJet Air to 260 seats on the Thai Oriental Airlines Boeing 767. A total of 12 flights will operate between July 2nd and August 19th.

Hualien County Government launched direct charter flights to Hong Kong at the end of 2016, and now there are already seven weekly flights to Hualien from Hong Kong. In response to the government’s New Southbound Policy, the Hualien County Government and local tourism industry stakeholders actively promoted the Bangkok charter flight plan, which has now been finalized. The Hualien-Bangkok direct charter flights will commence on July 2nd, with a total of 12 flights until August 19th, operated by Thai Oriental Airlines Boeing 767 aircraft, each with 260 seats. The plan was approved today (25th) for takeoff and landing by the Air Force 401st Tactical Fighter Wing.

Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi and former chairman of the Hualien County Tourism Association Hsu Chao-lin pointed out that for the Hualien-Bangkok direct charter flight operations, local tourism operators must commit to filling one-third of the seats. For the 12 scheduled flights, this amounts to at least 720 passengers. If the passenger demand is not met, the cost will have to be absorbed by the operators. They hope the central government can provide subsidies to severely disaster-affected areas in eastern and central Taiwan, and the county government will also establish autonomous regulations to provide subsidies to operators in accordance with the law.