PORT BLAIR, Andaman Islands (18 Mar 2004) -- Thailand's PB Air will launch the first international charter flight from Bangkok to Port Blair beginning on Thursday. ''Curtain-raiser flights from Bangkok to Port Blair are on March 18, 22 and 25,'' Mr Samit Sawhny, Managing Director of the Barefoot Group, which is organising the flights, said. A full charter schedule will start on December 15, 2004 and run for a four-month season until April 15, 2005. Flights will operate weekly although efforts are on to ensure a twice-weekly schedule, he said. The flights are being operated in partnership with PB Air -- a Thai Airways affiliate and a subsidiary of the Boonrawd Group. Mr Samit said the Barefoot Group, based in India, is a promoter of ecologically sustainable tourism in the Andaman Islands with an interest in both aviation and resort development. With the introduction of this convenient 90-minute direct flight, scuba divers, pleasure sailors, game fishing enthusiasts and eco-tourists travelers will now be able to easily visit the Andaman Islands. | | The islands stretch 700 kms north-south in the Andaman Sea and comprise 572 islands of which only 36 are inhabited. With over 90 per cent tropical rainforest cover, mangrove eco-systems, pristine coral reefs, and unique fauna and flora, the islands are an ecological paradise. Meanwhile Mr Mohd Jadwet, President of Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industries, told UNI that an 18-member delegation from the India-Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by its President Vinay Sachdev is reaching Port Blair onboard the charter flight tomorrow. The delegation will be in the Andaman Islands for 4 days to explore investment opportunities, establishment of trade links and promote cross regional tourism. The delegation will also hold meetings with officials of the Andaman and Nicobar administration and members of the Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Jadwet said. SOURCE - Kaumudi Online |
