Bangkok Airways hopes for revenue lift as travel restrictions ease

Bangkok Airways aims for a recovery in revenues in 2022, as it eyes a stronger Thailand tourism market with the lifting of travel restrictions. The airline aims for passenger revenue of Bt8.2b ($246m) in 2022, up nearly half from the its revenue of Bt5.7b in the 12 months to 31 December 2021, according to CE Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth. “In 2022, we forecast that the aviation sector is expected to recover about 40% due to the increase of vaccination rates, as well as a reduction in travel restrictions and easing of Covid-19 preventive measures in Thailand,” says Prasarttong-Osoth. Routes that the airline aims to restart include Bangkok-Krabi, Koh Samui-Chiang Mai, Koh Samui-Hong Kong, as well as Bangkok-Siem Reap in Q3. Other routes will be opened in Q4, but he warns that coronavirus-related travel restrictions could change plans. As for passengers, the airline expects to carry 2.6m this year, nearly five times the 536,000 it flew during a dismal 2021, which was marked by both domestic and international travel restrictions. It hopes for a 2022 load factor of 65%, compared with load factors of 58.6% in 2021.<br/>