Thai AirAsia cuts seat capacity by about 30 pc for May, June
BANGKOK: Thai AirAsia will reduce overall seat capacity by an average of 30% between May and June. The move aims to address the combined impact of soaring global aviation fuel prices and the seasonal softening of mid‑year travel demand, the airline announced on its website on Tuesday.
For its domestic network, Thai AirAsia will scale back flight schedules at Suvarnabhumi Airport, retaining only direct services from Suvarnabhumi to Chiang Mai and Phuket during May and June, said Phairat Pornpathananangoon, chief executive officer of Thai AirAsia. At Don Mueang Airport, the airline will continue to operate its full network across all destinations, with flight frequencies adjusted to match actual passenger demand.
On the international front, the airline will temporarily suspend some routes and reduce frequencies, primarily on services to India, citing high operating costs. Operations across key markets such as China, East Asia and ASEAN will remain steady.
“Aviation fuel constitutes our primary operating expense, and with jet fuel prices having surged more than threefold recently, we must rigorously optimise our operational plans by reducing flight frequencies and temporarily suspending several unviable routes,” Phairat said.
The airline added that should fuel prices stabilise and travel demand pick up, it is prepared to rapidly reinstate and scale up flight operations.
By RSS/Xinhua
