Thai AirAsia X to refund bookings made during pandemic

Thai AirAsia X director Tassapon Bijleveld has affirmed that the 6,500 bookings made prior to the bankruptcy process, as well as new bookings made after May 17, will not be affected by court procedures. These bookings will be eligible for a cash or credit refund, reports state news agency NNT.

The airline carrier has accumulated around B25 billion in debt and has filed for bankruptcy, which was accepted on May 17. If the airline’s creditors do not object to this petition, the carrier will proceed with its rehabilitation plan, which it hopes to finish by the third quarter of 2023.

During the bankruptcy process, the airline continues to cut operational costs such as by relocating its hub to Suvarnabhumi airport, which reduced space usage and cut costs by half. The airline previously operated 15 jets prior to the pandemic but reduced its fleet to five aircraft this year.

Tassapon confirmed that the airline’s international flights will continue as usual. The airline intends to resume all South Korean and Japanese destinations, with the goal of serving 300,000 passengers in 2022. Flights to South Korea have restarted last month, while its route to Japan is scheduled to begin in July.