Thai AirAsia X is considering a new route next year between Bangkok and Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, capitalising on the robust growth in arrivals from that country this year, which has already exceeded the target thanks to Thailand's visa-free policy.
Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation, the holding company of Thai AirAsia, said the airline plans to add three more aircraft to its fleet of seven aircraft within 2024. The airline would use them to service new routes with the potential of increasing demand as tourist arrivals are projected to reach 30 million next year.
"It's quite certain we will operate direct flights between Thailand and Kazakhstan, which has strong potential in terms of tourism," said Mr Tassapon.
In September, the Thai government granted travellers from China and Kazakhstan visa-free entry. The privilege is set to expire on Feb 29, 2024.
Mr Tassapon said the airline would not only aim to bring tourists to Thailand from Kazakhstan, but would also be encouraging Thais to explore Kazakhstan, a largely untapped destination which benefits from a cooler climate and has interesting attractions that may appeal to Thais.
As of Dec 11, 154,015 tourists from Kazakhstan had visited Thailand this year, up sharply from the 59,620 arrivals recorded last year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said only one airline, Air Astana -- Kazakhstan's flag carrier -- has been operating direct flights between Kazakhstan and Thailand, including seven flights per week to Bangkok and 11 flights per week to Phuket. Most flights have been fully booked due to robust demand in Kazakhstan for flights to Thailand.
Mr Siripakorn said the momentum of this market has been strong since Phuket initiated the sandbox programme for foreign entry during the pandemic.
The market still has the potential to grow if more airlines were able to operate direct flights to help facilitate tourists, he added.
TAT has set a target to attract 240,000 visitors from Kazakhstan next year, driven by the visa-free policy and an increase in seat capacity from other carriers.
In addition to this route, Thai AirAsia X is studying new markets in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, which experienced steady growth during 2023, said Mr Tassapon.
It will also expand networks covering popular destinations such as Japan by adding other cities, in addition to Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo.
However, the sluggish Chinese market has prompted the airline to postpone its plan to open a new route to Beijing and the airline has also reduced the number of flights to Shanghai during certain periods.
"Actually, Thai AirAsia X planned to have five more aircraft next year, but due to surging demand from airlines globally, it's difficult to acquire new planes to add to the fleet at the moment," said Mr Tassapon.
In terms of domestic routes operated by Thai AirAsia, he said the volume of passengers had already reached the same level as seen in 2019. This is a healthy trend for the tourism industry as many countries have also pivoted to domestic tourism to diversify the risk faced in international markets.
"The government should pay more attention to domestic tourism as self-dependent tourism will be an upcoming trend next year amid the volatile situation globally, stemming from the economic downturn and geopolitical risks," said Mr Tassapon.
In August this year, seven airlines under the Airlines Association of Thailand met Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and requested relief measures, such as an extension to the reduction in the excise tax on jet fuel.
However, since the situation for the aviation sector has been improving this year, Mr Tassapon said it's possible the government may not extend the subsidy. The state provided a subsidy on jet fuel for a period of two years during the pandemic.