THAI Airways International (THAI) has introduced special flight arrangements for Thai Muslims planning to go on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The first flight will depart from Hat Yai on September 17, which is the first day of the pilgrimage. From September 17 to November 15, THAI will operate twice-daily services from Hat Yai to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, in addition to one daily flight each from Phuket and Krabi.

THAI will operate a total of 42 special inbound and outbound Hajj flights, using Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a 295-seat capacity. The carrier expects to serve approximately 6,000 Hajj pilgrims during this period. Roundtrip airfares for the special flights start from 48,500 baht (US$1,530) per pax.

Meanwhile, THAI and Brussels Airlines have entered into a codeshare agreement on the Brussels-Bangkok route, a thrice-weekly direct service launched by THAI last November (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 21, 2011).

“The codeshare agreement between the two carriers will offer passengers greater choice in travelling (between) Bangkok (and) Brussels, with access to other parts of Europe as well as South-east Asia,” said Pandit Chanapai, THAI executive vice president, commercial department.