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Tag: Sihanoukville

  • Thai AirAsia parent Q1 operating profit halves

    Thai AirAsia parent Q1 operating profit halves

    Revenue for the quarter ended 31 March was flat at Bt11.6 billion, but expenses rose 10% to Bt10.5 billion. Net profit fell 50% to Bt497million. The company says that fuel costs rose during the quarter, as did airport and MRO costs. Despite this, the carrier’s CASK was flat compared with a year ago at Bt1.53 due to a 10% increase in ASKs and a longer average stage length.

    RPKs grew 9%, while load factor was flat at 91%. The carrier’s average fare for the first quarter was Bt1554, down 7%.b Cash and cash equivalents were Bt4.1 billion on 31 March, down from Bt5.97 billion a year earlier.

    In its outlook, the carrier notes that international trade frictions could hurt the global economy and affect exchange rates.

    “As the company has revenues and expenses in various different currencies such as passenger fares, repair, and maintenance as well as aircraft rental, the company has adopted the practice of natural hedging by matching cash expenses and revenues in the same currency as practically possible,” it says.

    It believes that global crude prices could fall in the second half of the year, but has hedged 52% of its 2019 fuel conception at cost of $80 per barrel.

    It adds that Thailand’s tourism industry will remain strong in 2019. It plans to add new routes later this year from Bangkok Don Mueang to new Vietnam destinations such as Can Tho and Nha Trang, as well as the addition of a Chiang Mai-Da Nang service.

    It plans two Cambodia services, Bangkok Don Mueang-Sihanoukville, and Phuket-Phnom Penh. In addition, it will add a Bangkok Don Mueang-Ahmedabad service.

    “This diversified strategy tends to minimize the risk of dependence on the major customer base, enhancing the company and Thai AirAsia’s sustainable revenue growth in the future and maintain its leading low-fare airline in Thailand,” it says.“In 2019, Thai AirAsiamaintains a target of 23.15 million passengers, with a solid load factor at 86%, and plans to acquire more energy efficient aircraft during the year to bring its fleet to 63 aircraft.”

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  • Thai AirAsia to fly to Sihanoukville from July

    Thai AirAsia to fly to Sihanoukville from July

    Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia, a subsidiary of Malaysia-based AirAsia, will launch a direct flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville in July. The coastal town will become Thai AirAsia’s third destination in Cambodia after Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

    “The new route is expected to serve the millions of foreign travellers who use Thailand as a hub, while for Thai travellers, Sihanoukville offers an affordable beach and cultural getaway,” Thai AirAsia CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya was quoted as saying in the Bangkok Post on Monday

    Norinda Khek, communications and public relations director at Cambodia Airports, confirmed the new flight, and said it demonstrates the efficiency of Cambodia Airports’ route development strategy, which aims to attract airlines by providing them marketing support, among other services.

    Taing Sochet Krisna, director of Preah Sihanouk province’s tourism department, said that the presence of one more airline in Sihanoukville International Airport will help increase the number of tourists to the province.

    He said China tops the list of visitors to the province by nationality, followed by neighboring countries like Malaysia and Vietnam.

    According to data from Cambodia Airports, last year air passenger traffic to the province increased by more than 92 percent, totalling 650,000 visitors.

    According to Mr Norinda, Sihanoukville International Airport has five domestic airlines – Cambodia Angkor Air, Cambodia Airways, Lanmei Airlines, JC Cambodia Airlines, and Sky Angkor Airlines – and four international ones – AirAsia, Ruili Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Hainan Airlines.

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  • AirAsia now flies direct to Sihanoukville

    AirAsia now flies direct to Sihanoukville

    Malaysia-based  low cost carrier AirAsia officially launched its first direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville International Airport yesterday to cater to the increasing number of tourists keen to visit Cambodia’s coastal areas and enjoy its beaches.

    The inaugural AirAsia flight, with 180 passengers onboard, landed at 1:00 PM and returned back to Kuala Lumpur 40 minutes later, according to a Cambodia Airports press release.

    AirAsia’s four times weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville is its third route into Cambodia, with the airline flying daily to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

    Spencer Lee, commercial head at AirAsia, said that with the expansion of the airline’s services to Cambodia, AirAsia has become one of the key players in the kingdom’s tourism sector.

    “We are thrilled that our first flight to Sihanoukville marked a milestone with a successful full flight for our 50th unique route. As a truly Asean airline, it is our commitment to drive tourism efforts to all countries that we operate in – especially within the region,” said Mr Lee. 

    “This coastal city in Cambodia presents great potential and dynamic opportunities in terms of tourism, trade and economy. We are happy to be a part of this journey to develop Sihanoukville further,” he added.

    “Our footprint in Cambodia to date would not be possible without the help from local parties and we would like to thank the Cambodian airport authorities for their tremendous support.

    “With Sihanoukville added into our extensive network map of over 120 destinations, we hope to enable this city to be a popular tourist destination that enables travellers from the region to experience a hidden side of Asean that has yet to be discovered.”

    Mr Lee said AirAsia aims to develop Sihanoukville to become a tourist hotspot like how it has introduced unique destinations such as Luang Prabang in Laos, Indonesia’s Banda Aceh and Bhubaneswar in India.

    “Travellers looking to bask in the sun and enjoy the waters can look to the unspoiled tropical island of Koh Rong Samloem for beautiful sandy beaches, jungle mountains, mangrove and marine life. While the most popular beach in Sihanoukville, Ochheuteal Beach, boasts a late night scene with restaurants and bars.”

    Eric Delobel, CEO of Cambodia Airports, said that AirAsia’s direct flights to Sihanoukville would better facilitate Cambodia’s connectivity to all parts of the world.

    “Our successful partnership with AirAsia is moving up another step and it is a key driver in connecting Cambodia to the world,” he added.

    Mr Delobel said Cambodia Airports was keen to attract more airlines to Sihanoukville and for that reason it would inaugurate in early 2018 a new airport terminal and at the same time renovate the airport runway to cater to bigger aircraft.

    Taing Sochet Krisna, director of Sihanoukville provincial tourism department, said that AirAsia will help to promote the image of the country’s coastal area and attract more tourists, investment and trade.

    “Now tourists will be able to fly directly to my province,” he said.

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