Thai SmartLynx is preparing to launch as Thailand’s first ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider to address seasonal demand with a fleet of Airbus A320s available from early 2025 on a wet lease basis.
The company is a joint venture between global ACMI provider Avia Solutions Group and local partners and is in the final stages of obtaining its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
The move comes as tourism in the country is recovering to pre-pandemic levels, with 40 million visitors expected by the end of 2024 and an additional 5.5 million in 2025.
The company says there is a consequent need for additional short-haul capacity to meet varying seasonal demand according to factors such as holiday seasons, weather, and school year start dates.
Thai SmartLynx plans to introduce additional capacity to meet these peaks, which require more short-haul aircraft than are currently available in the domestic market.
Gediminas Ziemelis, Chairman of Avia Solutions Group, said: “… domestic travel in Thailand has two distinct peak seasons, June-August and January-March. With a 10% increase in domestic tourism predicted in the country over the next few years, there is a need for ACMI to provide additional capacity to this market.”
Thai SmartLynx is currently undergoing final regulatory checks with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand for its AOC. The company officially opened its corporate headquarters in Bangkok at the beginning of September.
Photos: Thai SmartLynx and Airbus Industries
Gediminas Ziemelis (left), the Chairman of Avia Solutions Group, and Apirak Homlaor, Chief Executive Officer of Thai SmartLynx, celebrate the opening of the company’s corporate headquarters in Bangkok.
