Mumbai30 Dec 23 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Bangkok
Enter Heading
About Air Astana
Air Astana is the official flag carrier of Kazakhstan which is based out of the capital, Almaty. The airline operates scheduled passenger domestic and international flights. Overall, Air Astana caters to about 64 domestic routes and international routes from its main hub, Almaty International Airport. Its secondary hub is Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan. The airline is originally a joint venture between the sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna of Kazakhstan and the British multinational, BAE Systems plc. While the wealth fund holds a major stake of 51 per cent in the airline, the remaining 49 per cent of stakes are held by BAE Systems plc. The airline came into existence in 2001 with commercial flight services commencing in 2002. Originally, the airline was conceived for purely domestic route services. However, with BAE Systems' involvement, the airline agreed to participate in a proposed start-up, as requested by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The idea behind acquiring an airline start-up was to facilitate an air-radar contract which was being negotiated by the government.
Sir Richard Evans of the BAE Systems played a key role in finalising the deal with the state. Things didn't materialise the way the British-owned organisation planned and eventually, with subsequent changes in the management and closure of BAE Systems in Kazakhstan, the airline was left with no big stakeholders. Despite the lack of support faced by Air Astana, the airline did take off. The airline's first president and former executive of British Airways, Llyod Paxton took charge. They leased three Boeing 737s from the International Lease Finance Corporation to commence commercial operations of Air Astana in 2002. The following year, the airline acquired Fokker 50s on lease from Aircraft Finance Trading BV along with three Boeing 757s from Pegasus Leasing Corp. The same year, the airline declared a net profit keeping operations of its full year in consideration. With the shutdown of the country's national flag carrier Air Kazakhstan in 2004, Air Astana's operations expanded as its domestic route network along with important international routes were also enhanced. The airline started operations to routes such as Dubai, Moscow, Istanbul, Beijing and later added London and Frankfurt.
The airline did face tremendous challenges within the management as there were disagreements over fleet expansion plans as well as hub strategy. The shareholders and the management were in disagreement regarding these subjects, and it eventually led to a change in the management in 2005. Peter Foster, who made quite a name for himself as a former executive of Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways was roped in to be Air Astana's president in the same year. These changes didn't affect the airline's profitability as it consistently showcased profits and even found itself on the global list of the top 20 most profitable airlines with respect to the net margin. In fact, it was recognised for three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012. Up until 2016, Air Astana was known to be the only airline from Kazakhstan that was allowed to fly to the European Union. In today's time, Air Astana's fleet is recognised as the youngest in the European Union as it consists of about 30 aircraft acquired from Western manufacturers. The airline further restructured its fleet by replacing their old Airbus A320s and Boeing 767s. The airline does have the vision to expand its fleet size to 43 by 2020.
Fleet size of Air Astana
Air Astana's fleet size stands at 32 with an additional 20 aircraft yet to be delivered. Currently, the airline boasts a fleet that has a majority of aircraft from the Airbus and Boeing family along with Embraer. The aircraft in service are two Airbus A320200s, four Airbus A320neos, two Airbus A321-200s, two Airbus A321LRs, four Airbus A321neos, four Boeing 757-200s, three Boeing 767-300ER, six Embraer 190s and five Embraer 190-ERs. The airline is expecting its first Boeing 787-8, three of which are in order and expected to be delivered between 2019 and 2023. Simultaneously, Air Astana's fleet will also see additional Airbus A320neosm Airbus A321LRs, Airbus A321neos and one Embraer 190-E2. The airline is expected to receive its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner which would be used to commence operations to the United States of America. In 2018, after replacing much of its Airbus A320-dominated fleet, the airline received its first Airbus A320neos. The same year, the airline commenced the use of the aircraft to cater to some of the post-Soviet countries. The airline also received its second Airbus A321neo while the fleet's Embraer 190-E2 were replenished to carry flights to post-Soviet countries.
Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance on Air Astana is quite strict as the airlines refuse to accommodate baggage that exceeds the limit stated. The maximum weight of checked baggage as allowed by the airline is 32 kg. Passengers who arrive at the airport with baggage weight exceeding the mentioned number will be asked to repack and re-accommodate their items to fit the weight allocation. In case you do wish to purchase additional baggage from the airline, prior bookings need to be made and for the airline to be informed about the same. The free baggage entitlement comes with the type of ticket that the passenger has purchased. Based on the ticket type, the passenger will be allowed to carry extra weighing baggage. The dimension for the checked baggage should not exceed 158 cm, a globally recognised measurement. As for cabin baggage, the airline allows the maximum weight to be no more than 8 kg. While the weight rule applies to business and economy class, the passengers of the premium cabin class can carry two baggage instead of one. The dimension for the hand baggage should not exceed 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm.
In-flight services
Air Astana's in-flight services have tremendously improved over the years. Since its inception, there have been some massive changes and upgradations with respect to their in-flight services ranging from their phenomenal cabin class setting, the seating configuration and their in-flight meal services. Passengers can book the meals ahead of the journey or order meals onboard. The airline also offers entertainment systems that have been attached to all the seats for long-haul flights.
Popular routes and top cities for Air Astana
Air Astana caters to 64 routes in total out of which the number of destinations in the neighbouring Central Asian and Russian countries has better connectivity. From 2009, the airline launched flights to cater to routes of Baku, Bishkek, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Tashkent, with a view to catering to nearby top destinations. Air Astana further expanded its international routes by going down south and starting flights to Delhi, Beijing, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong, to name a few. The airline also launched services to connect to Frankfurt and Seoul from Kazakhstan's Nur-Sultan Airport. The airline's top cities are Baku, Beijing, Paris, Tbilisi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Omsk, Seoul, Bangkok, Istanbul, Kyiv, Dubai, London and Tashkent, to name a few. It's domestic route connectivity to cities namely Almaty, Aktau, Atyrau, Kostanay, Nur-Sultan, Oral, Oskemen, Shymkent and Aktobe. Currently, Air Astana has codeshare agreements with a few airlines namely Air France, Bangkok Airways, KLM, S7 Airlines, Air India, Cathay Pacific, LOT Polish Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa and Ukraine International Airlines. Further, the airline has signed interline agreements with a bunch of airlines including Aeroflot, All Nippon Airways, Korean Air, EgyptAir, British Airways, Thai Airways International, Qatar Airways and Qantas Airways, to name a few.
Why travel by Air Astana?
Air Astana has flourished as an airline in a very short span of time. With strong leadership and expansion strategies, the airline has managed to become one of the most sought-after ones to be opted by passengers in Kazakhstan. In terms of connectivity, Air Astana is perfectly in sync with some of the top cities within the country. Not just its domestic route expansion but the airline has worked towards extending its international route to accommodate more cities. Currently, the airline has a limited number of international destinations, but they do intend to change that soon. The positive here is that the airline has many codeshare agreements which help Air Astana extend its connectivity.
Apart from the good flight connectivity, the in-flight services and facilities provided by the airline are just as good. They have recently enabled web check-ins for passengers travelling by Air Astana. Travellers can sign up on the website and do web check-ins to skip the long queues at the airport. Further, the airline's website is also equipped with other updates regarding the flights such as flight status and flight schedules that can be found on the website. Prospective travellers can book an Air Astana flight ticket on their website too. There are some amazing deals that can be availed with respect to baggage allowance and in-flight services that come with booking an Air Astana flight online. Basically, travelling by Air Astana is quite an affordable and convenient deal.
About Bangkok Airport
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is often referred to as Bangkok Airport. It is one of the two major international airports that serve Thailand. Although Don Mueang International Airport was also recognized for its international flight services. However, the same was halted in 2007. Now the airport serves as a hub to low-cost airlines that connect in Bangkok. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is sprawled across 8,000 acres of land and is one of the biggest international airports in the Southeast Asian region. It is also a hub for aviation in Bangkok.
Suvarnabhumi Airport was originally chartered with limited domestic flight services. However, it soon started expanding to add more domestic and international flights. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is currently the important hub for Thai Smile Airways, Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways. The airport basically serves as a regional gateway to several foreign carriers too. It has been recorded to be the 17th busiest airport in the world and 11 busiest in Asia. The airport has the capacity to accommodate about 60 million passengers in a year. There are over 95 airlines that operate from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
About Airport Terminals
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport has three terminals in total. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are responsible for operations of international flights. Meanwhile, Terminal 3 is focussed on domestic flights to cater to connectivity in Thailand. The two terminals are located right next to each other while the domestic terminal or Terminal3 is 500 meters away from Terminal 2. The distance between the terminals is not massive. The proximity often makes it confusing. The departure and arrival zones in the international terminals have dedicated immigration counters as well as check-in and baggage to make it easy for the travellers. The terminal's roof has been designed aesthetically with the use of structural elements and bays that have been placed in cantilevered wavelike forms. The airport is capable of accommodating an Airbus A380. There are two parallel runways at the airport with a total of about 120 parking bays for flights. The passenger terminal is recorded to capacitate about 76 flight operations every hour. An underground rail link station has also been constructed to connect the terminal with the city centre. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport's terminal passenger terminal is famed for being the fourth-biggest building in the world, following Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport and Dubai International Airport.
About Airport Authority
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is funded and operated by the Airports of Thailand Public Company Ltd. (AOT). The airport's body is responsible for six international airport ventures in Thailand. Four more airports have been added recently under its wing. The statutory body received recognition as one of the most valuable airport operators across the globe. The organization was established in 2002 after a consortium between private firms and the state-owned Airports Authority of Thailand. The Thailand government holds a higher share in the consortium with about 70 per cent stock. The Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is the most profitable venture for the airport's authority with passenger statistics of about 63,379,077, as recorded in the year 2018. Over the years, the airport management has done a phenomenal job of efficient connection of the international airport with the city centre. They have also worked towards fixing some of the pressing matters to bolster the functions and efficiency of the airport in terms of safety and connectivity.
Top airlines flying from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
The demand for Bangkok in India as a tourist destination is quite high. Hence, there are several Indian airlines that operate from the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport as well. In fact, the first flight to fly to the Bangkok Airport was a Lufthansa Cargo which took off from Mumbai. Some of the Indian airlines that operate from the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport include Air India, GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara. They have direct connectivity and fly on a regular basis. Airlines such as Thai Airways and Thai Smile, which predominantly operate from Suvarnabhumi Airport also have direct services to Indian cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi Ahmedabad, Chennai, to name a few.
As an international tourist destination, the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport also sees much air traffic from international flights. Some of the prominent airlines that operate from the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport include Air Astana, Air China, Air France, Air Macau, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cambodia Airways, China Airlines, Druk Air, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Swiss, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Ural Airlines. These airlines cater to various parts of the world and have impeccable connectivity. There are reservations for cargo flights to function from the Suvarnabhumi Airport. They are Lufthansa Cargo, Cathay Pacific Cargo, DHL Aviation and Singapore Airlines Cargo.
Facilities at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
ATMs and currency exchange - There are foreign exchange booths and ATM kiosks available at the airport. You can withdraw money or exchange to local currency to make your trip convenient.
Baggage - Baggage services are available with plastic wrapping and porter services. You can also find trolleys at regular intervals.
Internet and communication kiosks - There are internet kiosks that have established at the airport. You can get your work done while you wait for boarding. There are telecom desks where you can purchase local mobile SIM numbers to avail WiFi. Postal services are also available.
Restaurants and cafes - There are many food establishments and restaurants at the airport's terminals. The departure zone has a slew of joints, including ones with liquor and coffee.
Medical care - Medical rooms and pharmacies have been installed at regular intervals. You can make last-minute purchases of prescribed medicine, or you can get necessary tablets or toiletries.
Prayer rooms - Devoted prayer rooms and multi-faith corners have been established at all terminals. There are monks' reception rooms also available at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Transit hotels - To make the passenger's experience at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport good, they have also installed an in-transit hotel. You can check-in for the few hours you need to wait and even rest as much as you can.
Spa and massage - The airport is blessed with good serviced spas and massage parlours. For in-transit passengers who need to take a second flight or who need to wait due to layovers, can avail this service.
Smoking zones - There are dedicated smoking lounges in the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. These are available at all the terminals' departures and arrivals. You can even purchase boxes in case you need it for the time being.
Special assistance – The airport also has professionals who cater to the special needs of passengers who fall under the category of senior citizens, expecting mothers and physically disabled. The professionals have been trained to help out the individuals by enabling a smooth transition of their check-in and boarding processes.
How to reach Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
By Bus and car rentals
The Airport Shuttle bus operating from the city is another efficient way to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. These buses have a direct connection to the airport from within the city, making travel cheaper and easier. Along with the buses, you can always book a ride to the airport too. There are five routes from the airport that have a direct connection with the Bangkok Airport. These routes connect from Bangkok's downtown as well as Chonburi Province, connections from North Bangkok and Bang Na Bang Pakong which stands at the South. The main entrance to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport though is at the Samut Prakan Province. There are elevated highways and flyovers which need to be used to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. You can find a car and rental booking booths at the airport's arrival segment. Even the entrance to the airport has a dedicated taxi counter where you can book your ride to the city.
By Airport Rail Link
One of the best ways to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in 2010 after much delay but has since managed to receive good passenger traffic. Called the Airport Rail Link (ARL), the rail is operated by SRTET which is a subsidiary of the State Railway of Thailand. The long 28.6 km gauge line runs at an elevation for most of its length. The link directly connects to the passenger terminal building off the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. The rail services start at 6:00 in the morning till 24:00. There are two interchange stations called Phaya Thai and Makkasan which run on different lines, also available. The future plans to expand the airport is also in talks where the Airport Rail Link plans to merge and complement the SRT Red Line commuter service. This way, you wouldn't need to change the metro links to reach the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
