Flight Info available on mobile

Airport of Thailand Director, Mr. Serirat Prasutanond, said, “The AOT main policy is to develop the business and airport operating system with excellent services and international standard facilities, in order to support country development, as well as to benefit users. In particular, such wireless technology as mobile phones has been applied to facilitate the information infrastructure for aviation businesses, as the additional information’s distribution channel and alternative to access information in response to today’s people’s lifestyle, which is always on the move.

“Lately, the AOT, in corporation with I-ACCESS and AIS have developed the ‘Airports Flight Info’ to accommodate people, passengers, traveling and transportation businesses with access to flight information of the worldwide airlines landing on the airports operated by the AOT, including Don Muang Airport, Chiang Mai Airport, Chiang Rai Airport, Hat Yai Airport, Phuket Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport via AIS mobile phones instantly, anywhere and anytime. The available information includes flight schedules, check-in counter numbers, boarding gates and carousel numbers. Importantly, the information is accurate to the flight information screens of each airport. The service was planned to BE first used in the Suvarnabhumi Airport, followed by the other airports soon.

Mr. Nirandra Theeranartsin, General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, revealed, “As the Suvarnabhumi Airport places the policy on improving and developing facilities within the airport in an effort to achieve world’s top 10 Best Service Airport by 2009, so far the Suvarnabhumi Airport has sped up the improvement of its services and facilities. The flight Information services are necessary because Suvarnabhumi Airport accommodates over 700 arriving and departing flights each day, with over 100,000 passengers and their relatives utilizing the facilities. Moreover, airport officers on duty and other people related to aviation and traveling business such as AOT staff, airline staff, tour agencies, tour guides and taxi drivers need to know information on the operating flights. Therefore, easy and quick access to accurate information is highly important. The cooperation between Suvarnabhumi Airport, I-Access and AIS in launching “Airports Flight Info” is a supplementary service and an alternative for passengers and operating staff to receive quick and convenient flight information besides the Call Center tel. 02-1321888 and Information counters currently serving passengers.”

Mr. Wichian Mektrakarn, CEO of AIS, talked about this cooperation. “The AIS policy is to adopt wireless technology to create services that benefit the public, including organizations, businesses and industries in the country; support advancement and continuous development. Regarding the cooperation with AOT, AIS aims to reinforce the country’s aviation business through quick and accurate information distributed thoroughly and conveniently to people. With the service “Airports Flight Info,” AIS has developed services in a variety of modes including SMS, WAP and Smart SIM for users to select their preferences in line with behaviors of airport user groups as follows;

1. Regular People who need to travel by air or know flight information for passenger pick up from time to time can obtain information per request via SMS. Simply type flight details and send to 4714714. The system will reply SMS with required information. The fee is only six baht. In addition, information can be accessed through WAP Portal of mobile LIFE by pressing *702# to get the link to “Airports Flight Info” page free content (subject to GPRS uplink cost) from today until October 31, 2009.

2. Aviation and Travel Business Operators who need the information on a regular basis can get the latest innovation Smart SIM developed on the Dynamic SIM Tool Kit technology supporting a real time information search and report, namely, “Airports Flight Info SIM,” coming with built-in application for information search. After activating the SIM card, a service menu will appear on screen for convenient, quick and economical access through WAP and SMS for one Baht per time.

Moreover, AIS offers the special promotion of “Airports Flight Info SIM” users with the 199 Baht monthly package free calls within AIS network from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 1.50 Baht per minute for off network calls and off time, valid for one year.”

Airports Flight Info SIM will available for aviation and travel business operators during September of this year.