Crash fuels Phuket fears

The plane crash at the Phuket airport, in Thailand, could not have come at a worse time for Calcutta tourists, and also travel agents and airlines flying to the southeast Asian country from the city.

Just when the passenger traffic on the sector was picking up, riding high on the Puja fervour, news of the early Sunday mishap has several prospective fliers from the city rethinking their plan to visit Phuket.

“We have received a number of calls from tourists who are apprehensive about flying to Phuket. Some bookings are on hold. Such fears are common after any mishap at a tourist destination,” said Anil Punjabi, the chairman (east) of the Travel Agents Federation of India. He is, however, hopeful that the impact will die down well before the Pujas.

Travellers intending to visit Phuket fly to Bangkok, the Thai capital, from where most take low-cost carriers to the beach resort. The plane that crashed at Phuket belonged to one such carrier, One-Two-Go.

Calcutta Telegraph, India