ASEAN airlines forecast to fly more passengers in next 12 months

FT Confidential Research predict​s that AirAsia will benefit most from the growing demand as the carrier is the only one with a significant presence across the region. (Photo: 

Hanoi (VNA) – ASEAN airlines can expect more passengers in the next 12 months, according to a recent survey by the FT Confidential Research (FTCR), a research service from the UK's Financial Times.

The survey found that among 5,000 consumers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, 67.1 percent said they intended to go on vacation in their home country during the next 12 months, 7.7 percentage points higher than those who did take a domestic holiday in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, 39.1 percent of respondents said they planned to travel abroad for a holiday, up 17.8 percent percentage points from those who went overseas the previous year, the survey said.

Though not all respondents may carry out their holiday plans, the figures present an optimistic picture of ASEAN’s tourism industry.

“The increased intent to travel fits ASEAN airlines’ plans to re-accelerate capacity expansion in 2017 after two years of reduced fleet growth,” the FTCR said, adding that “low-cost carriers will be the most aggressive in expanding their fleets”.

The FTCR forecast that airlines from ASEAN will add at least 95 aircraft this year and will greatly benefit from increased travel demand across the region. Most respondents from the five ASEAN countries said they mostly fly low-cost when travelling in their home country, but only in Vietnam was the nation’s flag carrier more popular than budget airlines among local respondents.

It also predicted that AirAsia of Malaysia will benefit most from the growing demand as the carrier is the only one with a significant presence across the region.-VNA

VNA