(14 October) Thailand is enjoying a boom in regional aviation industry according to the reports compiled by the national airport authority and Nok Air, a low-cost airliner.
Both the Airports of Thailand (AOT) and Nok Air have announced triple growth in their operation this year.
Nok Air boss, Mr. Patee Sarasin, said on Monday that his company is expected to make approximately THB 1,500 million in revenue this year, triple its 2012 revenue of THB 500 million. The company’s annual net profit for this year is also expected to double last year’s profit.
The low-cost airline is experiencing good prospects, as it runs on 87-88% of full capacity and operates 140 flights each day, Mr. Patee added.
The airline also plans to launch its first international route from Bangkok to Yangon in November, after the newly opened market Myanmar gains the biggest growth rate in the region. The route will be supplied with 4 flights a week, with the average ticket price of THB 2,000.
Meanwhile, the Airports of Thailand Public co.Ltd. (AOT), a state enterprise, also announced that they are expecting a profit of THB 17,000 million this year in air travel, nearly triple of its last year profit of THB 6,499 million.
CAPA also revealed that Thailand’s International Aviation Market has grown 21% within the last 18 months, slightly above the regional growth which presents at 20%.
Mr. Pongsak Semsant, AOT Deputy Director, said “AOT plans to develop Suvarnabhumi airport to be in the Top 5 of the global best airports list”. Additionally, the company plans to equip its airports with better facilities, more secure services and good management "within the next five years".
Currently, the national main airport sits comfortable at number 6 of the global list, and has been continuously developed.
The Ministry of Transport also announced last week the plan to transform Don Muang airport into a second fully functional international airport in Bangkok, as the busy flight schedules are increasingly beyond Suvarnabhumi capacity.
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