Bangkok Airways remains focused on network expansion

As part of this strategy, the listed company plans to launch four flights weekly between Bangkok and Phu Quoc in Vietnam by the end of October, he said.
Bangkok Airways announced revenue of Bt13.45 billion and a net profit of Bt44.4 billion for the first half of the year, while the number of passengers using the airline grew by 3.5 per cent compared with the same period last year.
In the second quarter, company revenue was Bt5.98 billion, down 1.2 per cent year on year due to intense competition that caused fares to drop, he said. 
The average passenger-load factor was 62.7 per cent, while passenger yield per RPK (revenue passenger kilometre) was Bt4.25, a decrease of 8.3 per cent from the second quarter of 2016. 
However, the number of passengers using Bangkok Airways increased by 4.5 per cent in the second quarter, year on year. 
The main contribution in terms of passenger growth was from point-of-sale business in China, which grew by 59.4 per cent over the same period last year. 
The company launched direct flight services between Samui and Chengdu in July 2016, and has been operating daily flight services between Samui and Guangzhou since January this year.
In the second quarter, Bangkok Airways received two brand-new ATR72-600 aircraft, giving it a fleet of 36 aircraft by the end of June. 
Moreover, the company entered into code-share agreements with two more airlines: Xiamen Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines. 
The new partnership with Xiamen Airlines will facilitate that carrier’s passengers to conveniently connect with tourist destinations in Thailand and Cambodia, such as Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Samui and Phnom Penh, Puttipong said. 
The partnership with Hong Kong Airlines allows the company to provide that airline’s customers a more convenient and seamless access to and from Samui, and to enhance the connectivity between Hong Kong and Thailand, he added.