Summary
- Thai AirAsia X is moving Sydney services to Don Mueang Airport for enhanced connectivity and schedule flexibility, starting December 2.
- The airline’s new offerings are part of a trend of airports closer to city centers making a comeback in the travel industry.
- Travelers from Sydney will have access to over 50 popular destinations in Thailand and beyond through seamless connections at Don Mueang Airport.
Two of Asia’s former international gateways in Thailand and Malaysia are making a comeback of sorts, with new services added to the departures board at Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Kuala Lumpur’s Subang International, now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. The latest switch was announced this week, with Thai AirAsia X moving Sydney services from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Don Mueang.
A new Sydney connection
On August 20, Thai AirAsia X announced it is returning to Sydney, Australia, with a revised network, schedule and enhanced connectivity from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport (DMK). The nonstop peak end-of-year service will commence on December 2, opening multiple connections for travelers at both ends of the route.
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This is another step in the re-birth of airports sited closer to city centers that were once shunned in favor of much larger operations, such as Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) and Kuala Lumpur International (KUL). Thai AirAsia X (TAAX) will operate the Bangkok to Sydney service six times weekly using its Airbus A330 widebodies, with flights on Tuesday (2), Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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TAAX flight XJ382 will depart Don Mueang on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 17:15 and arrive at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) at 06:50 the following day. The return flight XJ383 departs Sydney on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 08:15 and arrives in Bangkok at 14:10.
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The morning service from Bangkok, flight XJ388, will leave DMK on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 07:00 and arrive in Sydney at 20:35, with the return service departing SYD at 21:50 and landing at Don Mueang at 03:45 the following day. TAAX has an operating fleet of eight Airbus A330-300s and plans to extend that to eleven by the end of this year, with more to follow in coming years.
Seamless connections at DMK
Thai AirAsia X CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said the airline is returning to Sydney with a better network, schedule and enhanced connectivity spanning over 50 destinations popular with Australians in Thailand and beyond. Travelers from Sydney can head nonstop to Bangkok or enjoy seamless connectivity to the AirAsia network at Don Mueang International. He added:
“Thai AirAsia X operating out of Don Mueang Airport enables travelers to connect to many more Thai AirAsia destinations throughout Thailand and internationally, in particular, the Indian market that is in high demand. Passengers can choose Fly Thru service at Don Mueang to pass through immigration and receive their luggage at their terminal destination, allowing for even further journeys.”
Photo: Airbus
Currently, Thai AirAsia X flies from Bangkok to seven core destinations: Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Nagoya in Japan, Seoul in South Korea, Shanghai in China and Sydney in Australia. Adding more choice is the connection to the AirAsia group network of seven airlines operating flights to more than 150 destinations via key hubs in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Manila.
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Those passengers heading to Bangkok will enjoy the convenience of Don Mueang, which is just over 30 minutes away from central Bangkok, via public transport options such as the sky train (Red Line), airport bus and taxis. Connecting passengers will also benefit from quickly passing from check-in through immigration to their gate at the same airport without changing airport terminals as before.