Thai Lion Air to tap international market through Amadeus

A new agreement between Amadeus and low-cost carrier Thai Lion Air is giving travellers a more value-for-money way to fly into Bangkok and from the city to both popular and lesser known destinations around Thailand. Under the agreement, seats on the airline’s 17 routes covering an array of destinations from Phuket to Ubon Ratchathani will now be available through Amadeus’ global network of travel agents.
“There’s a growing demand for more affordable ways to fly to and within Thailand and Thai Lion Air is answering the call. We take a lot of pride in offering quality services at low fares to travellers looking to fly into Bangkok and from Bangkok to various destinations around Thailand. The domestic market is well aware of these options but the international market less so, and this is why our agreement with Amadeus is significant. Their ability to connect us with an unrivalled network of travel agents will put us in a strong position to effectively target the international market,” said Captain Darsito Hendroseputro, managing director of Thai Lion Air.
Operating from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, Thai Lion Air has been pursuing international expansion ambitiously, and in 2016 alone added Yangon, Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou to its map. With this agreement, Thai Lion Air is the second carrier under Indonesia’s Lion Air Group to distribute its content through Amadeus. Its sister airline, Malindo Air, has a long-standing partnership with Amadeus in the distribution space.
Hazem Hussein, executive vice president of the Airline Group for Amadeus Asia-Pacific, Turkey and Eastern Europe, added, “We are very pleased to add another airline from the Lion Air Group to our distribution family. Thai Lion Air joins more than 480 airlines that sell their content through our travel agency network. We are proud that they have chosen to partner with us and we look forward to supporting their growth and expansion.
“Amadeus partners with more than 90 low-cost and hybrid carriers today, making 80 per cent of total global LCC and hybrid seats available in Amadeus. Low-cost and hybrid carrier bookings in the Amadeus system increased an average of 16 per cent year-on-year throughout 2016.”