Mr. Nadda Buranasiri, Chief Executive Officer of Thai AirAsia X, said that the 3-2-2-1 strategy, being unveiled with a new online campaign, was created to reassert the airline's leadership in providing low-fares flights to South Korea, Japan and China and covers the morning, afternoon, evening and night periods of each day so as to accommodate every lifestyle. The new online commercial has been aired since November 20, in which it also releases a sneak peek at the end, hinting at a highly demanded route set to be unveiled early next year.
"While Thai AirAsia X did not introduce any new destinations in 2017, it consistently increased frequency on its popular routes. The airline estimates it will have served 1.6 million passengers by this year's end and have maintained a Load Factor average of 89 percent. In 2018, Thai AirAsia X is targeting 2.2 million passengers served and a Load Factor average of 86 percent. We plan to receive 4 new Airbus A330s to reinforce our position as the leader for flights to North Asia, Japan and South Korea," Mr. Nadda said.
Mr. Nadda views 2018 as a time of growth for the aviation industry as Thailand successfully removed its red flag status this year. He pointed out many airlines have made plans to add routes according to passenger demand and that Thai AirAsia X will use its high flight frequencies and expertise in the Japanese and South Korean markets to fuel its growth. The airline will also be adding Sapporo, Japan to its list of destinations in early 2018 among other major developments.
Thai AirAsia X estimates that it will end 2017 having served 1.6 million passengers after serving 1.4 million and 940,000 in 2016 and 2015 respectively. The airline's Load Factor average for 2017 is estimated at 89 percent after being maintained at 85 and 77 percent in 2016 and 2015 respectively. Total revenue in 2017 is forecast at 9 billion THB, following 7.9 billion THB and 5.4 billion THB in 2016 and 2015 respectively. The revenue target for 2018 has been set at 13 billion THB.