Thailand's four brand-new airlines to stir up competition
At least four new airlines are preparing to enter the Thai aviation industry, expecting to capitalize on rising demand from a tourism sector that has been booming since the lifting of COVID-related restrictions. Their debuts are expected to stir up competition in the kingdom's aviation market, adding further challenges to industry players already struggling with higher oil prices and other operating costs. Really Cool Airlines is expected to be the first to start operations, starting in December with Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft. It is now in the process of obtaining an air operation license. Patee Sarasin, a former CEO of budget airline Nok Air, owns 51% of Really Cool Airlines. Patee in 2017 stepped down as Nok Air's CEO after helming the company for about 14 years. He had been under mounting pressure at the cash-strapped carrier. Landarch Airlines is expected to start in Q1 2024 with 12-seat propeller planes, targeting clients flying between major cities and beach towns in the south. P80 Air, which is 99% owned by Thoresen Thai Agencies, a leading shipping operator, plans to launch with Boeing 737-800s, focusing on routes to several cities in China. Siam Seaplane plans to operate eight-seaters on routes to famous beach towns such as Hua Hin, Pattaya and southern islands. "This year would be a golden period for the aviation business to rebound after being hit by the pandemic over the past two years," said an analyst at Krungsri Research, adding that around 93% of the demand for air transportation is from tourism. Before the pandemic, Thailand welcomed more than 80m tourists and business travelers in 2019. The number dropped to only 20m in 2021 due to restrictions on air travel worldwide. Thai Airways, Thailand's national carrier, had already been struggling to survive long before the pandemic, due largely to higher costs and inefficient business plans that caused accumulative losses starting in 2013. The pandemic worsened its performance and forced it to undergo bankruptcy court-supervised restructuring in 2020.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-06-08/unaligned/thailands-four-brand-new-airlines-to-stir-up-competition
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Thailand's four brand-new airlines to stir up competition
At least four new airlines are preparing to enter the Thai aviation industry, expecting to capitalize on rising demand from a tourism sector that has been booming since the lifting of COVID-related restrictions. Their debuts are expected to stir up competition in the kingdom's aviation market, adding further challenges to industry players already struggling with higher oil prices and other operating costs. Really Cool Airlines is expected to be the first to start operations, starting in December with Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft. It is now in the process of obtaining an air operation license. Patee Sarasin, a former CEO of budget airline Nok Air, owns 51% of Really Cool Airlines. Patee in 2017 stepped down as Nok Air's CEO after helming the company for about 14 years. He had been under mounting pressure at the cash-strapped carrier. Landarch Airlines is expected to start in Q1 2024 with 12-seat propeller planes, targeting clients flying between major cities and beach towns in the south. P80 Air, which is 99% owned by Thoresen Thai Agencies, a leading shipping operator, plans to launch with Boeing 737-800s, focusing on routes to several cities in China. Siam Seaplane plans to operate eight-seaters on routes to famous beach towns such as Hua Hin, Pattaya and southern islands. "This year would be a golden period for the aviation business to rebound after being hit by the pandemic over the past two years," said an analyst at Krungsri Research, adding that around 93% of the demand for air transportation is from tourism. Before the pandemic, Thailand welcomed more than 80m tourists and business travelers in 2019. The number dropped to only 20m in 2021 due to restrictions on air travel worldwide. Thai Airways, Thailand's national carrier, had already been struggling to survive long before the pandemic, due largely to higher costs and inefficient business plans that caused accumulative losses starting in 2013. The pandemic worsened its performance and forced it to undergo bankruptcy court-supervised restructuring in 2020.<br/>
