Thai Lion Air (TLA) is cautiously resuming its international expansion but will still focus on consolidating its domestic coverage.
The Thai-registered no-frills carrier, part of Indonesia's Lion Group aviation giant, on Saturday inaugurated its Bangkok-Singapore daily flight as part of its relaunch of regional services.
TLA's international routes -- Bangkok-Jakarta, Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur, Hat Yai-Medan and Hat Yai-Kuala Lumpur -- were dropped partly due to poor traffic demand.
Chief executive Aswin Yangkirativorn said China would be the next focus of the airline's renewed fervour for international expansion after Bangkok-Singapore, the frequency of which will be doubled to twice a day in the next month or two.
Mr Aswin specifically mentioned Guangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing as the Chinese cities where TLA intends to operate regular flights from Bangkok next year, pending approval from Chinese authorities.
The more immediate expansion of TLA is over Thai skies as the airline gears up to introduce three new routes and ramp up frequencies on other routes to meet growing traffic demand.
In the middle of next month, TLA will start offering four daily services between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima before introducing twice-daily flights from the capital to Phitsanulok and Khon Kaen in November and December respectively.
In October, the airline will boost the frequency of its Bangkok-Chiang Rai service, now at four flights a week, to a daily basis.
TLA now flies to Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Hat Yai, Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani from its base at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport. It operates 39 flights per day.