Air India and IndiGo Expand Phuket Operations; SpiceJet Launches New Phuket Flights

As Thailand extends the duration of visa-free entry for Indian citizens, airlines from India have ramped up their capacity between India and Phuket. After Bangkok, Phuket is the largest market for Indian travelers in Thailand. Three Indian carriers namely Air India, IndiGo, and Vistara have added more flights to Phuket with effect from today.

In this article, let us look at the upgrades of all three carriers.

Air India Ramps Up Phuket Capacity

Air India started flights between Delhi and Phuket in December 2023. This was a special launch since Phuket was the first international destination to be launched after privatization. Soon after the launch, the route got an immense response. This prompted the airline to increase the frequency from 4X weekly to daily in January.

With effect from today i.e. 1 June, Air India has launched additional flights to Phuket. It now operates 13 times a week between Delhi and Phuket. The new frequency AI376/377 is operational six times a week.

However, this capacity upgrade comes with an equipment downgrade. The airline has downgraded the product from Airbus A320neo to A319 on both frequencies. This means that when the number of weekly services increased by 85%, the number of seats offered by the airline increased only by 40%.

The airline has pulled out the Airbus A319 from Kolkata Airport and is deploying it on international routes like Dubai and Phuket.

IndiGo Follows Air India in Phuket Market Expansion

Just a day after Air India announced the expansion in the Phuket market, IndiGo jumped in the wagon doubling its services on the Delhi to Phuket route. The airline, which previously operated daily flights between Delhi and Phuket will now be operating twice daily. Unlike Air India, it will continue to operate both services with the Airbus A320neo.

Here is a close look at flight timings of new Air India and IndiGo services:

With this service expansion, both IndiGo and Air India are operating 27 times a week on this route. Other than Delhi, IndiGo is connecting Phuket to Bengaluru and Mumbai with daily and 2X daily flights respectively.

SpiceJet Launches Phuket Flights

Joining the bandwagon, SpiceJet has become the third airline connecting Delhi to Phuket. With effect from May 31, it has launched daily flights connecting both cities. The airline has leased a couple of Airbus A320s from Cambodian carrier Sky Angkor Air. Phuket flights are being operated with these A320s.

Here is a look at flight timings:

The Phuket launch accompanied by the upgrading of Bangkok service to widebody aircraft means that the airline is up gauging the Southeast Asian capacity to cater to the increasing summer demand.

Unlike the Bangkok market, where airlines like Thai Airways and Thai AirAsia have considerable market share, there are no Thai-based carriers connecting India to Phuket. It is exclusively served by Indian airlines, with IndiGo being the largest shareholder.

Conclusion

Three Indian carriers namely IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet have expanded their presence in the Phuket market. The first two carriers have doubled their frequencies. SpiceJet has launched a new service operated by the wet-leased Airbus A320s. Not a single Thai carrier operates between India and Phuket.

What do you think about this Phuket service expansion by Indian carriers? Discuss in the comment section.