The leisure airline Small Planet Airlines grows its activities in Southeast Asia by founding a company in Thailand with plans to start carrying tourists from China and South Korea to Bangkok in the autumn of 2015.
Small Planet Airlines Thailand has been registered in Bangkok. The company intends to secure an air operator’s certificate in the spring of 2015 to operate flights to and from Thailand.
“Last winter we successfully operated flights to Bhutan, and this winter two of our aircraft are carrying passengers to Cambodia. Today I am pleased to announce that Small Planet Airlines will establish a leisure airline in Thailand. We are following our strategy to reduce seasonality in Europe”, said the CEO of Small Planet Airlines Vytautas Kaikaris.
According to Vytautas Kaikaris, Small Planet Airlines has developed a unique business model that helps to stand out from other airlines around the world. During an intensive summer season Small Planet Airlines flies passengers from Europe, while during winter it shifts part of its fleet to Asia, which is characterized by reverse seasonality compared to Europe.
Small Planet Airlines plans to operate two aircraft to and from Bangkok by autumn next year and to increase the fleet gradually to six aircraft in the winter season. Eventually, Small Planet expects to generate about 30% of its turnover in Asia.
Thailand is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world with Bangkok being the second most visited city around the globe surpassed only by London, leaving behind tourist favourites such as Paris and New York. Moreover, due to the rapid growth of many Asian economies, increasing numbers of Asian people spend their holidays abroad and visit other Asian countries; for example, the number of Chinese originating tourists have been growing annually by 60 percent on average with almost 5 million Chinese tourists visiting Thailand in 2013.
Last year Small Planet Airlines implemented a project in cooperation with Bhutan Airlines flying passengers from Bangkok (Thailand) to Paro (Bhutan). It was the Company’s first successful attempt to step into the Asian market. This August Small Planet Airlines signed a contract with Skywings Asia Airlines, under which two Airbus A320 aircraft will carry tourists to Siem Reap from cities in China and South Korea during this winter.
About Small Planet Airlines
Small Planet Airlines is a leisure airline that operates 11 aircraft in the markets of the Great Britain, Poland, Lithuania and Italy. Small Planet Airlines cooperates with major tour operators carrying their passengers to mainstream holiday destinations in Greece, Spain, Turkey, Egypt and other countries during the summer season (May-October) each year. During the winter, the company shifts some of its aircraft to Asia and other regions to balance the seasonality. It also arranges special flights for state delegations, sport teams and private individuals.