Thai Lion Air sees China bookings drop after celebrity kidnapping

Budget carrier Thai Lion Air has reported a decline in Chinese tourist bookings following kidnappings of Chinese celebrities in Thailand. 

The airline reports a 20% cancellation rate for charter flights during the upcoming Chinese New Year (January 24 to February 2), while group bookings have also slowed.

Atsawin Yangkiratiwon, CEO of Thai Lion Air, attributed the decline to the disappearance of a Chinese actor near the Thai-Myanmar border early this month.

Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to Thailand by the false offer of a film audition before being trafficked across the border to Myanmar on January 3. He was then forced to train in a scam centre run by the traffickers, before being rescued a week later. Chinese criminal syndicates operating the scam compounds in Myanmar are thought to have abducted thousands of victims from China and other countries over the past few years.
 

Atsawin said the incident this month would have a short-term impact on the Thai tourism sector.

"Thai Lion Air has received cancellations on 40 charter flights from China, primarily serving group tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday. These cancellations represent 20% of all charter flights from China operated by Thai Lion Air during this period, mainly direct flights to Phuket from secondary cities such as Ningbo, Hefei and Jinan."

He also noted a slowdown in bookings for self-travel groups.

"The disappearance of the Chinese actor has had a clear impact. For the 10-day Chinese New Year holiday, we are witnessing a significant number of air ticket cancellations by Chinese tour groups. As a result, Thai Lion Air has been informed by tour agents that they will be cancelling 40 charter flights from China, reducing the total number of both regular and charter flights from China to about 200," Atsawin said.

"From a business perspective, I urge the government to expedite measures to crack down on transnational crime, as this incident has severely impacted confidence and negatively affected the tourism sector."
 

Thai Lion Air currently operates six China routes, flying from Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Xi'an. The airline’s Chinese operation was far larger pre-COVID, with over 30 cities served. 

The passenger load factor on its China routes is currently around 50%.

Once dominated by Chinese travellers, Thais now account for roughly half of passengers, following the implementation of a permanent visa exemption policy between Thailand and China in March 2024.

"China is no longer our sole major market this year," Atsawin said. "We have adjusted our strategy to focus on the potential of each market within each route."