AirAsia, Nok Air, Bangkok Airways, MAS & soon Finnair drive rapid growth at Thailand’s Krabi Airport

Thailand's Krabi Airport has recorded rapid growth over the last two years as the beach destination has emerged as a popular alternative to nearby Phuket.

Seat capacity at Krabi has more than doubled since 2012 and increased by more than 70% over the last year, driven by a rapid increase in domestic and international services. The main Krabi-Bangkok market now has four competitors, up from two, while second competitors have entered the main international routes to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Rapid growth at Krabi is expected to continue, driven partially by capacity constraints at Phuket. Finnair has unveiled plans to start operating services to Krabi in Dec-2014, a major breakthrough for Krabi as it represents its first scheduled service outside Asia. Thai AirAsia is also preparing to open a base at Krabi - a first for the airport - as part of a plan to launch services to China.