MYAirline, one of Malaysia’s newest airlines, launched its first-ever international flight to Bangkok on 28 June 2023. This marked the first-ever destination outside of Malaysia, and a significant milestone for the airline, as this was the beginning of something great.
Following the success of the opening of the Kuala-Lumpur to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Kuala Lumpur Route, the airline also launched flights to Don Mueang Airport shortly, making the carrier the only Malaysian operator to fly to both Bangkok airports from Kuala Lumpur.
The launching of the Bangkok routes did not go unnoticed as the airline hosted a media roundtable and invited individuals from the industry – airlines, and tourism representatives. These meetings gave an insight into how crucial the Thai market is for the airline.
Why Bangkok?
The CEO gave an insight as to why Bangkok is being tapped as the first destination for the airline, Mr. Teo stated: “Bangkok was chosen as MYAirline’s first international destination due to the increasing numbers of both business and leisure travelers to and from Malaysia.”
“From January to May 2023, the Thai Ministry of Tourism & Sports recorded a total of 1,696,358 visitors from Malaysia to Thailand, compared to only 76,420* visitors during the same period last year.”
“This reflects a 2,119.78% increase in arrivals and is presently making Malaysia the top country contributing to Thailand’s tourism industry recovery.”
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The CEO remained confident and furthered: “We are confident that this robust trend will continue as trade and tourism between Malaysia and Thailand will further develop in the coming years.”
Other Thai destinations on the horizon?
The airline hasn’t indicated any opening of newer destinations to secondary Thai cities, but it has its eyes on popular tourist hotspots such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Krab, claimed a media page on Facebook called HFlight.net.
Flights to these destinations are slated to be launched by the end of this year, given the carrier has received a sufficient number of aircraft. The airline nevertheless has already announced that it will increase the number of flights to Bangkok from two to four, with two daily flights to each Bangkok airports respectively.
The Thai market remains a lucrative market for the airline, given that traffic between both countries on both ends of business and leisure allows airlines like MYAirlines to comfortably operate with a high cabin load.
In fact, the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Malaysia, Mrs. Sirintara Surakanitaya, said “Since the full reopening of the border, the tourism markets in Thailand and Malaysia have become vibrant again, demonstrating a positive demand for the tourism market of both countries.”
“This year, during the first two quarters of the year, Thailand has already welcomed more than 1.9 million Malaysian tourists and is expected to reach more than 3.5 million by the end of the year 2023.”
“MYAirline would provide tourists with more options and flexibility in terms of flight schedules and destinations, which allow travelers to plan their itineraries more efficiently and cater to their specific needs.”
All in all, the Thailand – Malaysia market remains a very competitive segment. Air Asia currently takes the crown in terms of connectivity between the two countries, linking the capitals of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur together along with other city pairings.
With MYAirlines venturing into the game, the only question that may arise is will there be an overcapacity?
