Thai AirAsia pursues higher profits
This year Thai AirAsia will continue rapidly expanding its fleet with seven new Airbus A320s coming and increasing frequencies to domestic destinations and overseas markets such as Indochina and southern China.
The low-cost carrier will manage and minimise costs more efficiently to generate a profit that is satisfactory to all, chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said yesterday.
Last year, revenue surged 19.8 per cent to Bt19.35 billion and profit before tax by 5.5 per cent to Bt2.13 billion. The airline started paying tax for the first time last year.
Thai AirAsia moved back to Don Mueang Airport on October 1. In the fourth quarter of last year, Asia Aviation (AAV), which jointly owns the carrier with Malaysia’s AirAsia, earned a net profit attributable to parent of Bt407.9 million on revenue of Bt5.62 billion.
For the whole year, AAV earned |a net profit attributable to parent of Bt15.66 billion on revenue of Bt16.10 billion. Profit included a gain on fair value of Bt14.69 billion in the second quarter.
“The company has achieved its target of taking delivery of five new aircraft in 2012, two of which were under finance leases,” Tassapon said. “These additions have enabled Thai AirAsia |to continue opening new routes, especially into China, the most populated country, where we received a strong response.”
Thai AirAsia launched nine new routes last year, such as Don Mueang to Trang, to Mandalay in Myanmar and to Chongqing, Wuhan and Xi’an in China, and from Chiang Mai to Macau.
