TAA has not yet disclosed which airports will host its future bases but Chiang Rai would be most logical next base for northern Thailand. Chiang Rai is the second most popular tourist destination in northern Thailand after Chiang Mai. Airports of Thailand (AoT) is also keen to attract more international services at Chiang Rai, which currently only has one scheduled international route – a thrice weekly service from Kunming on China Eastern.
In southern Thailand, Hat Yai would be the largest airport that does not have an AirAsia base. The AirAsia Group already has international services at Hat Yai with 10 weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur operated by its Malaysian subsidiary. AoT is keen to further build up the international offering at Hat Yai, which only includes flights to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Chiang Rai and Hat Yai would give TAA bases at all airports in the AoT portfolio except Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.
But Hat Yai has relatively limited demand from China. Surat Thani is a more likely option for TAA as Surat Thani is an alternative airport for Koh Samui and other popular resort islands.
Surat Thani also now has international services from three Chinese carriers
AirAsia already sells Samui as a ferry connection via Surat Thani from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Kuala Lumpur. The Kuala Lumpur-Surat Thani service is operated daily by Malaysia AirAsia. Surat Thani also now has international services from three Chinese carriers, including to Chengdu on China Eastern, to Shanghai on Shanghai Airlines and to Wuhan or Air China.
Accessing Samui directly is not a possibility for AirAsia as Samui Airport cannot accommodate A320s and is not served by any LCCs. Samui Airport is owned by Bangkok Airways. Surat Thani is owned by Thailand’s DCA, which also owns Krabi and several smaller secondary airports which only have domestic services.
TAA will have about 43,000 weekly seats in the Thailand-China market in Nov-2015 and Dec-2015, representing about a 90% increase compared to two years ago. The airline expects to further grow capacity to China in 2016 as China will be allocated a large share of its additional capacity.
Long-haul sister carrier Thai AirAsia X (TAAX) is also preparing to launch its first route to China, Bangkok Don Mueang-Shanghai Pudong, subject to regulatory approvals. The Bangkok-Shanghai market is currently served by Thai Airways and four Chinese carriers – China Eastern, Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Spring Airlines.