Thai AirAsia boosts flights to visa-free Japan and China

In response to robust demand, Thai AirAsia is set to increase flights to coveted travel destinations like Japan and China, which offer visa-free access to visitors. The airline also plans to introduce a fresh route to Okinawa.

The initiative comes from Thai AirAsia’s chief executive, Santisuk Klongchaiya, who also helms SET-listed Asia Aviation (AAV). According to him, the surge in Thai travellers to these nations will result from their budget planning for foreign trips.

By the fourth quarter of 2023, Thai AirAsia was operating 77 flights weekly to 11 Chinese destinations. It also had seven weekly flights to Fukuoka in Japan.

Post the start of China’s visa-free scheme, a considerable boost in independent Thai tourists visiting the mainland is anticipated, according to Santisuk. The airline projects the share of Thai passengers per flight to…