Surat-Bangkok Flight: Air India Express Seeks SGCCI Support

Surat : Air India Express has turned to the leaders of the trade and industry in the diamond city of Surat after the lackluster response in the number of bookings for its international flight from Surat to Bangkok, which is commencing operations from December 20. 

A high-level delegation of Air India Express management led by its Gujarat head visited the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) on Saturday to seek support of the trade and industry in Surat for the overwhelming success to the upcoming Surat-Bangkok flight commencing operations from December 20. 

Vinita Motiani, manager (sales and distribution) Air India Express held parleys with SGCCI president Vijay Mevawala and the airport committee members of the SGCCI, seeking their support for the overwhelming response to the Surat-Bangkok flight on Saturday. 

Vanita stated that the Air India Express is going to start the third international flight from Surat to Bangkok after Dubai and Sharjah in a year. The first flight from Surat to Bangkok will depart on December 20, 2024. Currently, a 176-seat plane has been allotted, out of which 8 seats will be for business class. The management is hopeful that the Surat-Bangkok flight will operate with full occupancy. 

SGCCI president Vijay Mevawala told the Gujarat Head of Air India Express that the Chamber will request its members and more than 150 associations of Surat to travel in the first flight departing from Surat. However, the trade and industry people should get suitable discounts for travelling from Surat to Bangkok. 

Mevawala said  that the Air India Express flight from Surat to Kolkata used to depart earlier in the morning. Industrialists and traders of Surat used to return to Surat on the same day in the evening flight after completing their meetings and business-related work with traders in Kolkata, but now since the flight time from Surat to Kolkata has been changed to afternoon, the traders are forced to stay in Kolkata for an extra day without work, hence he requested to change the flight time from Surat to Kolkata to morning. In this regard too, the Air India Express team showed a positive attitude.