- The airline plans to operate more than 40,000 flights with an expected total
of passengers carried at 4.4 million in 2023 - The airline marks its 55th anniversary this year and highlights its premium positioning
22nd March 2023 – Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited (BA) foresees that the total number of passengers globally will reach about 70-80% of the Pre-COVID volume due to rapid travel demands and recovery of the world economy. In 2023, Bangkok Airways plans to strengthen and enhance its services to better facilitate its customers and airline partners, highlighting its premium positioning as well as focus on uplifting the operation of its three owned airports; Samui, Sukhothai, and Trat. Additionally, 2023 marks Bangkok Airways’s 55th anniversary and the airline is set to roll out some amazing activities and campaigns. Further, the airline will put more effort into its sustainability development to operate ever more responsibly. In 2023, Bangkok Airways aims to carry about 4.4 million passengers and operate more than 40,000 flights.
Mr. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, President commented, “International travel and tourism has been gradually recovering which resulted in the rapid recovery for the aviation industry in all regions of the world. For Bangkok Airways, we have witnessed an increase of additional bookings since July 2022, when Thailand lifted travel restrictions. Therefore, in 2022, we had a total carried-passenger number of 2.7 million, which is up by 394.8 percent compared to the year 2021. We operated 29,892 flights in 2022, which increased by 243.8 percent compared to the year 2021. The overall picture of the total passengers-carried in 2022, it reached about 45 percent when compared to the year 2019 and gradually increased, and by the end of the third quarter of 2022, the total passenger reached 65 percent when compared to 2019. It is believed that tourists from other countries still saw Thailand as their top destination as many countries lessened their travel restrictions, which resulted in the continued speedy recovery for Thailand tourism in 2022.”
“Currently, Bangkok Airways operates to 15 destinations in Thailand and 7 destinations in Asia. In 2023, the airline plans to attract more Thai travelers to travel within the country and more international travelers to travel in Thailand and the region via Bangkok Airways’s extensive network. The airline aims to achieve 15,000 million baht in passenger revenue with an expected load factor of 76 percent in 2023.”
“On the occasion of our 55 th anniversary, Bangkok Airways still strives to enhance our products and services to offer a seamless travel experience for our passengers by highlighting our premium positioning. Bangkok Airways is a premium full-service carrier that is not only renowned for its service excellence but also famous for providing a worry-free travel experience. Some of the highlighted benefits Bangkok Airways customers usually get are complimentary seat selection, 20 kg baggage allowance, access to passenger lounges, in-flight meals and beverage. Moreover, this year, the company will highlight one of its strengths, and that is as the sole operator of the three successful airports – Samui, Sukhothai, and Trat. The airline aims to utilize the three airports under its management to become aviation hubs connecting unique destinations in the region. In 2023, the company plans to expand the capacity of the airports as well as enhance its management systems, landscape enhancement, and environmental management which will be under the rules and regulations of the involved authorities and follow international standards.”
Mr. Puttipong added, “Bangkok Airways realizes the importance of sustainable growth and wants to make sure that all stakeholders of the company can grow sustainably while preserving the environment, especially with an eye to top environmental issues – climate crisis management, which the company takes it very seriously. Recently, Bangkok Airways has been implementing the efficiency jet-fuel management projects in order to reduce CO₂ emissions. In addition to that, the airline has also joined the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) by ICAO, to support the objectives to lower CO₂ emissions for international flights and to curb the aviation impact on climate change. The aim is to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2050. Moreover, the company also plans to set foot in other sustainability dimensions such as renewable energy studies; assessment of the carbon footprint of the organization, the development plans for the waste separation project, and upcycling projects.
Mr. Anawat Leelawatwatana, Senior Vice President – Finance and Accounting, commented that “Bangkok Airways posted the operating results for the year of 2022; total revenue was at 12,742.1 million baht, up by 124.8 percent when compared to the year 2021, due to an increase in total revenue was from the growth of airline passenger revenue which was up by 609.8 percent, airport business revenue up by 465.4 percent, and airport-related business revenue was by 71.6 percent respectively. As the result, the company posted an operational loss of 889.3 million baht, a decrease of 64.9 percent (1,643.2 million baht) when compared to 2021.”
“In 2022, Bangkok REIT Management Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Company, as the REIT manager of BA Airport Leasehold Real Estate Investment Trust (“BAREIT”), raised a fund of 14,300 million baht and listed BAREIT on The Stock Exchange of Thailand on September 14, 2022. Samui Airport has shown significant growth in 2022, the airport had a total of 1.3 million passengers and serviced more than 15,000 flights. Therefore, we believe that Samui Airport will perform better this year as tourism recovers.”
“The latest update of the U-Tapao Airport development project, the U-Tapao International Aviation Co., Ltd. (UTA) has prepared the design of the terminals, and construction works and is ready to start its construction process once it receives final approval from the authority.”
Komkrit Ngamwongwirot, Director of Key Account and Ancillary Product, commented that “This year, the company expects that the proportion of income will mainly come from the foreign markets, which we see as the ready-to-spend-and-travel markets. We believe that the income from these markets will increase approximately 60% and that the total revenue and will mostly be through our GSA agents in the major markets including Europe, America, Australia, Japan, China, South African countries, as well as another 20 countries around the world. In addition to that, we believe that our sales will also come from our partner airlines, which currently amount to about 100 airlines around the world. Nevertheless, one of the distribution channels that we will try to focus on more this year is online travel agents which undeniably become one of the key players in the market.”
“In 2023, we will be more proactive in oversea markets. We will appoint 12 new GSA agents which will make a total of 41 agents that we have around the world. The newly appointed agents are mostly located in the Nordic/Scandinavian and Benelux countries. Additionally, the company will appoint sole agents in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Australia.”
“For Thailand, which is seen as a highly competitive market, we plan to strategically roll out promotions throughout the year. Also, we will partner with relevant business partners such as insurance companies, car rentals, hotels, to increase ancillary revenues through attractive campaigns and promotions. Additionally, we also have special discounts for students, elderly and disabled persons.”
“For marketing communications, this year we will use the color-marketing strategy to create a brand perception through the blue color, which is our corporate identity. The concept for this year’s branding is “Blue is the color of happiness” which reflects the color of Bangkok Airways’s branding. Various shades of blue color will be used to signify the brand together with our presenter, Yaya Urassya who has been the face of Bangkok Airways for 8 years. The new TV commercials starring Yaya and the blue color of Bangkok Airways will be released today and I hope everyone who sees it will like it and relate to it when they want to travel, they should think of the blue color and Bangkok Airways because blue is the color of happiness.”
“For marketing activities, this year we will launch a few memorable events to strengthen our brand awareness in Thailand. Sport marketing will still be our main focus this year, as it has proven that it could create massive travel demands as well as enhance Bangkok Airways brand perception as a boutique organizer. This year, we will continue our “Bangkok Airways Boutique Series,” which is our annual running event. There will be 4 events in 4 different destinations in 2023, which are the Koh Samui Half-Marathon, the Lampanf Half Marathon, the Phang-Nga Half-Marathon, and the Sukhothai Half-Marathon. All events will incorporate a sustainability concept to help make awareness of the global climate crisis, for example all of our running shirts this year were made of recycled plastic bottles. Apart of that, we will also have the Bangkok Airways Surf Festival which we partner up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the event will be held in Khaolak, Phang-Nga to help promote sports tourism in the secondary city.”
