Jet Asia Airways plans expansion in Asian skies

BOOMING intra-Asia travel has propped up the development of Thai airline Jet Asia Airways, which plans to roll out fully scheduled flights by next year. 

The Bangkok-based carrier is increasingly moving away from a traditional model reliant on charter flights towards scheduled services, according to Pablo Saba, development manager of Jet Asia Airways, adding that Jet aims to launch fully scheduled flights by next year. 

With a fleet of five wide-body Boeing 767 aircraft and a sixth one on the way, the airline currently operates scheduled charters from Bangkok and Phuket to China, South Korea and Japan, including Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shenyang, Changsha, Tokyo and Seoul – cities that lie within a flight distance of between five and eight hours from the Thai capital. 

Meanwhile, Japan’s recent visa liberalisation policy for Thai nationals has made Japan “more feasible for route development”, said Saba.

“We’ve been focusing on inbound passengers to Thailand, but we’re now keen to explore the outbound market as Thai market demand to Japan is strong,” he added.

Also in the delivery pipeline is a narrow-body B757 aircraft – likely within the next eight months – that will pave the way for Jet Asia Airways to introduce destinations within a three-hour radius in South China, South-east Asia and India, Saba shared.

At the same time, the airline has plans to enter Russia and the Middle East within the next year.

Established in 2009, Jet Asia Airways operates out of Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Sourced: ttasia