Thai airlines accelerate expansions amid post-pandemic travel surge
Five Thai airlines are accelerating their fleet and route expansions to meet the growing demand for both domestic and international travel.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in December 2024, the aviation industry is expected to continue its annual growth following the Covid-19 pandemic, fuelled by increasing travel demand across the Asia-Pacific region.
This optimistic outlook has prompted Thai airlines to expand their fleets and enhance operations in order to accommodate the rising number of travellers. The move is anticipated to support the recovery of Thailand’s tourism sector, aiming to return to the pre-pandemic level of 39.8 million foreign arrivals recorded in 2019.
THAI to get 9 aircrafts
Thai Airways International (THAI) CEO Chai Eamsiri announced that the airline will receive nine aircraft under a leasing agreement, expanding its fleet from 79 aircraft.
The delivery is expected to be completed by the third quarter of this year, comprising seven Airbus A330s, one Airbus A321, and one Airbus A330-300. Chai noted that these additions will support the airline’s plans to expand flights to high-potential destinations such as China, India, Japan and Germany.
This expansion is projected to increase the airline’s passenger numbers to 16.5 million in 2025, up from 16 million in 2024.
Chai added that THAI signed procurement contracts for aircraft and engines with Boeing and GE Aerospace during the Singapore Airshow in February 2024.
The first contract involves the purchase of 45 Boeing 787 Dreamliners equipped with GEnx engines. A deposit has been paid, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
The second contract covers the potential acquisition of an additional 35 aircraft, with flexibility to adjust the order depending on future circumstances. THAI aims to expand its fleet to 116 aircraft by 2027 and to 150 aircraft by 2033.
Thai AirAsia to get 6 aircraft
Santisuk Khlongchaiya, CEO of Thai AirAsia, announced that the airline plans to procure six new aircraft this year, expanding its fleet to 66 aircraft and covering 26 million passenger seats. The airline aims to serve up to 24 million passengers in 2025, with a load factor of nearly 90%.
“2025 marks the first year Thai AirAsia will resume expansion, increasing its Airbus fleet to 66 aircraft—up from 63 aircraft before the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
He explained that during the pandemic, the airline was forced to return 10 aircraft, reducing the fleet to 53. The number gradually increased again, reaching 60 aircraft in 2024.
Santisuk added that the airline will acquire Airbus A321LR and A321XLR aircraft, supporting its long-term goal of expanding the fleet to 97 aircraft by 2030.
He also noted that Thai AirAsia will maintain a 40% share of the domestic flight market as a strategic buffer against risks in the international market. For example, ongoing safety concerns have impacted Chinese visitor numbers, which dropped to 6 million this year from 6.7 million last year.
In addition to operations at Don Mueang Airport, Thai AirAsia will operate 11 domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi Airport, aligning with the airport’s plan to handle 150 million passengers annually. The airline also plans to launch new routes from Suvarnabhumi to the Indochina region later this year, he added.
Thai AirAsia X aims for Middle East, Kazakhstan
Thassapol Baleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia X, stated that the airline, which currently operates a fleet of nine aircraft, plans to procure an additional two to three Airbus A330s to support the launch of new flight routes.
He said the airline intends to expand its services from Don Mueang Airport to a fifth destination in Japan, adding to its existing routes to Tokyo (Narita), Osaka, Sapporo, and Nagoya.
In addition, Thai AirAsia X aims to launch flights to two cities in the Middle East. Thassapol also revealed that a new route to Kazakhstan will be introduced soon.
Bangkok Airways to receive 2 aircraft
Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, Director of Bangkok Airways (BA), announced that Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft will be delivered to the airline in the second half of this year, increasing its fleet to 25 aircraft. Additionally, 12 ATR 72-600 aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028.
“This year, we aim for total revenue to grow by 8–9% compared to last year, when we recorded revenue of 26.04 billion baht,” he said. “We anticipate operating around 48,077 flights—an increase of 6–7%—with an average load factor of 82%. Passenger numbers are expected to reach 4.7 million, representing 8% growth, with an average ticket price of 4,200 baht per seat.”
He highlighted that Samui Island remains one of the airline’s most popular routes, with advance bookings rising by 14% for both March and September this year. To meet this growing demand, the airline plans to resume its Samui–Kuala Lumpur route in the fourth quarter, offering one flight per day to accommodate European travellers transiting through Kuala Lumpur Airport.
Bangkok Airways currently operates flights to 19 destinations—11 domestic and eight international.
Thai Lion Air to expand fleet to 40 aircraft
Nuntaporn Komonsittivate, Head of Commercial at Thai Lion Air, announced that the airline will procure an additional 14 aircraft this year, increasing its fleet to 40. In 2024, the airline operated 26 aircraft, comprising 19 Boeing 737-800s and seven Boeing 737-900ERs.
“This year, our focus is on fleet expansion as we aim to return to near pre-Covid-19 levels last seen in 2019. From last year, we observed a positive recovery trend. Excluding Chinese routes, traffic has rebounded to around 80% of pre-pandemic levels,” she said.
Nuntaporn stated that the airline plans to expand domestic routes to secondary cities. For international operations, it will resume services to Japan—such as Nagoya—and launch a new route to Okinawa. This move follows strong demand on the recently resumed Tokyo route, which has recorded an average load factor of 80–90%.
“We expect to serve 6.6 million passengers this year, up 10% from 6 million in 2024,” she said, adding that this figure represents approximately 50% of the airline’s pre-pandemic level of 13 million passengers.
A source at Thai Lion Air also revealed that the airline plans to resume flights from Don Mueang Airport to Changsha with one flight per day from May 1, and to Zhengzhou with four flights per week starting May 2.
