Thai AirAsia will suspend all flights from Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) from July 15 to September 30, before resuming operations from the airport on October 1, as part of a wider adjustment to its flight network.
All nine domestic routes the airline had been operating from Suvarnabhumi will be paused for the period. Flights on these routes will instead run through Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), which remains Thai AirAsia’s main operating base.
The following domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi are suspended:
- Chiang Mai
- Phuket
- Buri Ram
- Chiang Rai
- Hat Yai
- Khon Kaen
- Nakhon Si Thammarat
- Surat Thani
- Udon Thani
The suspension follows an earlier reduction in Thai AirAsia’s average capacity by 30% in May and June, which the airline attributed to sharply higher aviation fuel costs and softer travel demand in the middle of the year.
According to a report by Scandasia, when announcing that capacity cut in April, Thai AirAsia chief executive Phairat Pornpathananangoon said aviation fuel was the airline’s primary operating expense.
“Aviation fuel constitutes our primary operating expense, and with jet fuel prices having surged more than threefold recently, we must rigorously optimise our operational plans by reducing flight frequencies and temporarily suspending several unviable routes.”
Thai AirAsia is one of several Thai carriers affected by rising jet fuel prices this year. Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion Air and Thai VietJet Air have all adjusted schedules or raised fares in response.
Thailand’s transport ministry met with airline executives in May to discuss possible relief measures, including a temporary cut to excise tax on jet fuel.
Passengers with existing bookings on the affected Suvarnabhumi routes are advised to check directly with Thai AirAsia for rebooking options via Don Mueang.
In related news, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) will introduce new rules allowing security officers to open checked baggage without passengers present if X-ray screening detects potentially dangerous items.
The story Thai AirAsia Suvarnabhumi routes paused amid fuel cost hit as seen on Thaiger News.
