The launch would give Bangkok Airways a share of the lucrative and booming air traffic demand of the city. Two operators have been serving the city: the no-frills carrier Thai AirAsia and the full-service airline Air Macau.

Bangkok Airways chief executive Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth said the Bangkok-Macau route offered significant potential for a high cabin factor, reaching a high 80% in six months.

The Macau route is one of a handful of low-risk destinations that Bangkok Airways is tapping this year against the backdrop of a looming traffic slowdown and skyrocketing fuel prices.

Bangkok Airways’ foray to Macau came against soaring Thai tourist visits to the the oldest and the last European colony in China, where the huge gambling industry has drawn foreign tourists.

Arrivals from Thailand to Macau have grown impressively in the past few years, leaping from 57,876 in 2005 (up 38.32% year-on-year), to 89,448 in 2006 (up 54.55%) and 140,749 in 2007 (up 57.4%), said Macau Government Tourist Office in Bangkok.

In the first quarter of this year, the numbers skyrocketed to 55,834, an 81.26% jump compared to the first quarter of 2007. For 2008, the arrival numbers are expected to rise 40% in the best case scenario or 20-25% growth under a more conservative projection, said Jarunee Tantinukul, marketing manager of Macau Government Tourist Office’s Bangkok branch.

Last December, Thai AirAsia increased frequencies on the route to four flights a day from three, while Air Macau this year stepped up its services to 10 flights a week from seven.

An industry source said there is a good chance that Air Macau would increase the frequency to 12 a week in the near future.

Thai AirAsia is using an Airbus A320- 200, with 180 passenger seats on the Bangkok-Macau route, while Air Macau operates Airbus A319 and A320 jets.

Bangkok Airways plans to jointly promote its new flights to Macau by offering package deals in co-operation with the huge Venetian Macau Resort, which boasts the world’s biggest casino and is Macau’s latest tourist attraction. The resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands hotel-casino chain.

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