SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, is set to begin services to Koh Samui in Thailand from September 27, 2011.

Flights are scheduled to operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Koh Samui will be SilkAir's third destination in Thailand, after Phuket and Chiang Mai. The new services will be operated with the Airbus 319 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class cabins.

Bangkok Airways will be the codeshare partner on these flights. SilkAir will also codeshare on Bangkok Airways' daily evening services between Singapore and Koh Samui, providing customers with more flight options. Currently, Bangkok Airways operates a daily non-stop service on this route with the same aircraft type, leaving Koh Samui at 16:35 p.m. and departing from Singapore at 20:10 p.m..

Flights will be operated according to the following schedule*:

SilkAir (MI) Operated Flights

Bangkok Airways (PG) Operated Flights

* All times local

"SilkAir is very excited to launch services to Koh Samui, which is renowned for its beautiful white sandy beaches and coral reefs, making it an ideal destination for tourists, honeymooning couples and those who just want to get away from the daily stresses of life.

"Koh Samui is popular with travellers seeking the ultimate tropical beach experience and SilkAir is well placed to meet this demand, with our extensive experience in flying to exotic regional destinations and our strong interconnectivity with the Singapore Airlines network," said Chief Executive SilkAir, Mr Marvin Tan.

"Additionally, our codeshare arrangement with Bangkok Airways will enhance the connectivity between Singapore and Koh Samui and offer our customers more convenient connections and flexibility when planning their holidays," added Mr Tan.

Peter Wiesner, Bangkok Airways' Senior Vice President for Network Management, said: "By having a codeshare arrangement on the Singapore-Koh Samui route, it actually allows us to drive more traffic into Koh Samui. We are planning on capturing traffic from Singapore as well as through traffic from long-haul routes connecting from a major aviation hub like Singapore Changi International Airport. Adding to this, passengers will benefit from better flight connectivity and accessibility as SilkAir operates a morning flight while Bangkok Airways an evening one."

In addition to the Singapore-Koh Samui route, Bangkok Airways also codeshares on SilkAir's Singapore-Chiang Mai and Singapore-Phuket routes. Likewise, SilkAir will codeshare on Bangkok Airways' Bangkok-Samui, Samui-Phuket and Chiang Mai-Samui routes.

For more information on SilkAir and Bangkok Airways, including its destinations and services, please visit silkair.com and bangkokair.com.

About SilkAir

A full-service premium airline, SilkAir currently flies to 34 destinations across 11 countries and is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines. Last year, the airline was inducted into TTG Asia's Travel Hall of Fame following its 10th win as Best Regional Airline in the TTG Travel Awards 2009. SilkAir was also ranked among the Top 10 Airlines for Best Cabin Service Worldwide 2010 by Hong Kong-based online travel magazine, Smart Travel Asia. SilkAir was also voted Best Regional Airline (Southeast Asia) in the 2009 Skytrax World Airline Awards. For more details visit silkair.com

About Bangkok Airways

Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com), with the ASIA'S Boutique Airline slogan, is the first private airline established in Thailand since 1968. Taking off daily with about a hundred flights per day from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok Airways flies travellers from around the world to more than twenty exquisite destinations across Thailand and Asia. Samui, Phuket, Trat (Koh Chang), Maldives are amongst the hottest beach selections, while Sukhothai, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap (Angkor) are World Heritage sites.

Bangkok Airways' the only airline in Asia to have won the Skytrax Best Regional Airline for six consecutive years from 2004 - 2009. As a member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Bangkok Airways continues to provide comfort at an uncompromised safety standard to all passengers.