BANGKOK – Thailand’s aviation industry will see significant changes in 2024 as the industry recovers globally. Seaplane service providers intend to expand their operations, while authorities say several companies have applied for licences and imported 60 aircraft to take advantage of the 320 billion baht industry.
Kasinpoj Rodkho, CEO of Thai Seaplane Company (Avanti Air Charter), a seaplane service provider, revealed that his airline has benefited from international tourists traveling in the Andaman region. Infrastructure development projects at airports on the Andaman coast, including Phuket, Krabi and a second airport in Phang Nga, are expected to attract a significant number of passengers in the future.
“Even though the volume of business travelers is decreasing, tourists continue to travel, and there is a trend to combine travel and work known as workcation. This has prompted various airlines to increase their fleet size due to growing passenger numbers,” he explained.
Thai Seaplane sees an opportunity to meet the travel needs of tourists who want to travel between tourist areas with long travel times or difficult access. Therefore, the seaplane service will begin operations in the third quarter of 2024, offering flights in the Andaman region that take no longer than 1.30 hours. Possible routes include Phuket-Krabi (bypassing the airport), Phuket-Koh Phi Phi, Krabi-Koh Phi Phi, Phuket-Similan Islands and Phuket-Lipe.
Premium Target Groups
Siam Seaplane Company Limited is another company that expects to receive an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in the first quarter of 2024 and will begin flying routes from Phuket or Krabi to various islands such as Koh Lipe, Koh Yao Noi, Phi Phi Island, and Khao Lak in Phang Nga Province; and routes from Bangkok (Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi) to the Gulf of Thailand such as Rayong, Trat, and Pattaya.
Siam Seaplane CEO Worakanya Siripidej told Prachachat Business that her company’s goal is to carry 25,000 people each year on three aircraft. Thai premium mass tourists who desire to travel are the airline’s target market, accounting for 30-40% of total clients.
In terms of the foreign tourist market, the target customer group is a developing market group, which includes Southeast Asia, and we will seek to enter markets relevant to each location, such as the Russians in the southern zone.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), around 30% of tourists visiting Thailand are from luxury groups, or approximately 7 million individuals out of a total of 25 million foreign tourists. She is confident that there is still opportunity for growth in the Thai aviation industry.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is speeding up the approval process to allow airlines to acquire additional aircraft quickly and relax the relevant regulations. This is to enable airlines to meet the growing demand in the Thai aviation industry, which is constantly expanding despite the current lack of supply in the industry.
Eight additional airlines have recently received operating licenses (AOL). The airlines also plan to import another 60 aircraft by 2024. The Thai aviation industry is expected to return to pre-COVID-19 (2019) levels and it is predicted that Thailand will be the 9th largest passenger market in the world within the next decade.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday, December 5, he has invited Airport Organisation of Thailand director and minister of Transport and the ministry’s permanent secretary to discuss improving the quality of airports in order to better attract tourists. He added Thailand has the potential to be better.
____
Related articles:
