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MEKONG
AIR
A proposal
was made in 1998 by Thailand’s tourism minister, Pitak Intrawithayanunt, for
the six countries through which the Mekong River flows, Burma, Thailand,
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and China, to jointly form a new regional airline, to
be known as Mekong Air, to take
advantage of the rapidly expanding tourism to the area. Air access to the
historic sites in the region at the time could be best described as
fragmented. The tourism ministers of the potential partners endorsed the plan
in February 1999, and made approaches to the Asian Development Bank for
financial assistance.
The concept
was much discussed, but foundered on technical details such as arrangements
for a common visa, and a single ‘Mekong Air Pass’ fare structure. Concerns
from some of the ‘lesser’ potential partners that the airline would be
dominated by Thai International were also not resolved.
The more
recent opening up of two of the major sites, Luang Prabang and Siem Reap, to
direct flights by Bangkok Airways, together with the expansion of Thai
private airlines such as Air Andaman and
PB Air, have probably removed the need for a multi-national Mekong
Air.
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