After Thai Airways’ low-cost brand Thai Smile finally completed its final flight on New Year’s Eve, eight new airline startups are vying to take its place.
New airlines aiming to begin operations this year are Asian Aerospace Service, Siam Seaplane, Really Cool Air, Avanti Air, Landarch Airlines, Pattaya Airways, Asia Atlantic Airlines, and P80 Air.
While some are niche or regional operators, others are expected to bolster overall flight capacity if they manage to get off the ground in a competitive market.
These startups have received some state financial aid and have got initial Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand approval to operate a combined 60 aircraft.
Really Cool Airlines’ strategy is one of the most advanced so far.
It plans to start international charter services in March and was founded by Patee Sarasin, former CEO of Nok Airlines.
Thailand welcomed 28 million overseas travellers in 2023 while Thailand airports handled 100 million fliers.
