BANGKOK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Thai AirAsia will reduce overall seat capacity by an average of 30 percent between May and June to address the ongoing impact of skyrocketing global aviation fuel prices and the seasonal softening of mid-year travel demand, the airline announced on its website Tuesday.
For the 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 strategically aligned to match actual passenger demand.
On the international front, the airline will temporarily suspend and reduce frequencies primarily on Indian routes due to high operating costs. Meanwhile, operations across key markets such as China, East Asia, and ASEAN remain steady.
"Aviation fuel constitutes our primary operating expense, and with jet fuel prices having surged more than threefold recently, we must rigorously optimize our operational plans by reducing flight frequencies and temporarily suspending several unviable routes," Phairat said.
Should fuel prices stabilize and travel demand accelerate, Thai AirAsia stands fully prepared to rapidly reinstate and scale up its flight operations once again, the airline added. ■
