Hua Hin to U-Tapao in 40 Minutes: EZY’s New Route Explained
EZY Airlines was due to start scheduled Hua Hin to U-Tapao flights on 23 October, four days a week in a 10-seat Cessna. Here is what the fare buys, what the airline says it wants, and what is still unclear.
Hua Hin Airport has a new scheduled route, and it points east rather than towards Bangkok. EZY Airlines flies a small Cessna between Hua Hin and U-Tapao, the airport that serves Pattaya and Rayong, and regular passenger service was due to start on Friday 23 October.
The pitch is simple: about 40 minutes in the air instead of a long drive round the head of the Gulf. The catch is the aircraft. It seats around ten people, so this is a niche service, not a bus replacement.
What we know about the service
EZY ran an inaugural flight on 30 September, Thaiger reported. It left Hua Hin Airport at 8.49am and landed at U-Tapao at 9.29am, in a Cessna Caravan C208B.
Seat counts vary by report: Thaiger says about ten, while Pattaya Mail says ten to twelve. Scheduled flights run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Promotional fares start at ฿2,900, with tickets sold at airport counters, on the EZY website and through online travel agents.
The reports do not say whether ฿2,900 is one way or return, how many flights run each day, or what the baggage allowance is. No report confirming the first paying flight on 23 October turned up, so check with the airline before you plan around it.
Who EZY is aiming at
The airline’s pitch is not the budget traveller. A Bangkok Biz News report on 14 October describes a “blue ocean” strategy that avoids price wars. EZY says it wants high-value, frequent travellers: medical and wellness patients, conference visitors, business travellers and international students.
For Hua Hin, the airline said the route should make it easier to reach Pattaya and the eastern seaboard, especially during the events season in November and December. It is paired with a U-Tapao to Surat Thani service, which connects to the speedboats for Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
Promised versus now
EZY has changed its story before. When it presented its first aircraft in 2025, Thairath reported, the plan centred on a Hat Yai hub with Hua Hin as a pilot-training base. Later phases would add Hua Hin links to Suvarnabhumi, Surat Thani and Phuket, and the airline talked about carrying 300,000 passengers a year after five years.
The October plan puts U-Tapao at the centre instead. Phase two, around mid-2027, would bring in a 60 to 70 seat ATR 72-600 on routes that include U-Tapao to Hua Hin, Phuket, Krabi, Phitsanulok and Khon Kaen. Today the airline has two Cessna Grand Caravans. It aims to add one a year to reach seven, and it is looking for a strategic partner.
There have been setbacks too. Thaiger notes that EZY dropped planned northern routes in August, saying airport parking charges made them financially unviable. A ten-seat aircraft leaves little margin for fees.
What it means for you
If you live in Hua Hin and have a reason to be in Pattaya, Rayong or the eastern industrial zone, a Friday or Monday hop could save a car day. If you are visiting for a weekend event, the four-day schedule suits long weekends better than midweek trips.
Two cautions apply. A tiny turboprop is more exposed to weather than an airliner, and the airline has only two aircraft, so one maintenance issue can cancel a day. Treat the first few weeks as a trial. The route is also a rare piece of good news for Hua Hin Airport, which still handles only domestic flights while runway work and international plans wait.
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