Thai AirAsia expects higher earnings growth as it prepares to accommodate an increasing number of visitors from China.
According to Chief Executive Santisuk Klongchaiya, increased advanced bookings indicated strong earnings momentum for the budget carrier. He also acknowledged that increasing seat capacity will be challenging but is a positive challenge for the airline.
Thai AirAsia wants to reactivate eight flights that were grounded during the pandemic. It is also exploring the possibility of relocating planes from other routes to accommodate more Chinese visitors. The airline currently has 53 planes in its fleet.
The carrier joins other airlines in scrambling to adjust their fleets to cater to a surge in tourist arrivals from China. The country welcomed 11.2 million foreign tourists in 2022, the most since the global pandemic began in early 2020. The government expects that 7-10 ten million Chinese visitors will travel to Thailand this year. (NNT)
