Bangkok Airways has expressed keen interest in an funding within the proposed airport in Phangnga if the federal government chooses to shift from a public scheme to a collaborative public-private partnership. The fresh funding is seen as a strategic transfer, as the new airport holds immense potential to turn into Thailand’s next vacationer hotspot.
The Thai government’s contemplation over investment into the construction of a brand new airport at Phangnga stems from the want to alleviate the overcrowding at Phuket airport. Recession-proof -Osoth, Bangkok Airways’ president, sees this potential project as a lucrative alternative which could open up a brand new passage for airlines transporting passengers to southern Thailand.
According to Puttipong, increasing the runway at Phuket airport is not at present feasible, making the development of a second airport inside proximity a viable solution to accommodate additional flights. Moreover, he added, Phangnga is garnering recognition as an up-and-coming destination amongst overseas travellers, a compelling argument for funding into tourism expansion with a brand new airport.
The feasibility examine for the Phangnga airport, which is projected to cost around 80 billion baht, was revived by the Airports of Thailand after the Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, visited the province final month, affirming that the new funding was crucial for bolstering tourism, reported Bangkok Post.
Puttipong believes that airport funding may result in substantial revenue generation. Bangkok Airways already owns airports in Samui, Sukhothai, and Trat which usher in about 2 billion baht each year for the corporate.
With journey demand escalating within the ultimate quarter, the airline has raised its annual revenue goal from ticket sales from 15 billion baht to 16 billion baht, aiming for an average load factor of 78%.
He further added that operational costs have soared within the post-pandemic period, leading to an anticipated rise within the average ticket price for this 12 months by 8% from its earlier forecast, from 3,four hundred baht per flight to 3,643 baht per flight.
As part of its plans, Bangkok Airways goals to renew two flights from its Samui hub to the Chinese hubs of Chongqing and Chengdu in November. Despite this, the airline doesn’t intend to aggressively broaden Chinese routes due to low demand. Its present plan is to focus on optimising its current capacity with a better load issue by offering cheap ticket prices..