Airports operator expects to turn profit next fiscal year

Airports operator expects to turn profit next fiscal year

Air travel returning to pre-covid levels.

Travellers pack Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport on April 10 this year, ahead of the Songkran festival. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Travellers pack Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport on April 10 this year, ahead of the Songkran festival. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

Airports of Thailand Plc expects to break even this fiscal year and return to profit the following year as air travel returns to pre-covid levels.

AoT president Kerati Kijmanawat said on Monday that domestic air traffic had already fully returned to normal and international traffic was back at 70% and was increasing.

Aviation was recovering, travel demand was growing and all airlines were operating at full capacity. The sector expected to return to pre-covid normalcy in 2024, he said.

Mr Kerati expected international services would return to 2019 levels, about 200,000 passengers a day, later this year.The number of Chinese travellers was currently half of the pre-pandemic level, he said.

Although Covid-19 cases were again rising, there would be no recurrence of lockdowns or travel bans, he said.

The International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization shared the same view, accordng to Mr Kerati.

AoT operates Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai airports. In fiscal 2022 it reported a loss of 11.09 billion baht.

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