Thai AirAsia X has been recording strong load factors in the Indian market since launching its direct flights between New Delhi and Bangkok on December 15, 2024. The carrier closed last year with an average load factor of 85 per cent and expects this to rise into the 90 per cent range in the current year.
“We are extremely encouraged by the strong demand from the Indian market. In January 2026, we recorded an average load factor of 88 per cent. We are also witnessing growing demand from India for onward connections within Thailand to destinations such as Phuket, as well as to other South-east Asian markets including Vietnam and Indonesia,” said Pattra Boosarawongse, CEO of Thai AirAsia X.
She was speaking to TTG Asia at the carrier’s first anniversary celebrations of the route, held in New Delhi on Thursday.
Thai AirAsia X has also seen a significant rise in onward connection demand from India, increasing from around nine per cent to 21 per cent by December 2025. This growth continued in January 2026, reaching 27 per cent, and the airline expects the figure to climb to 35 per cent in the coming months.
“As we operate out of Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, which offers lower congestion and faster immigration processes, we are able to provide seamless connectivity to markets such as South-east Asia and Japan. In fact, one of our key strategic focuses in 2026 is to drive greater travel between India and Japan, supported by our strong presence in the Japanese market,” shared Boosarawongse.
The Thai AirAsia X chief also attributed the carrier’s success in the Indian market to a slot change that now sees flights from New Delhi arrive in Bangkok at around 02.30, instead of 23.30 previously.
“We initially launched the route with four flights per week and increased the frequency to daily services in October 2025 after securing a better slot. The revised arrival time has helped passengers avoid the cost of an additional hotel night, while also enabling us to offer smoother onward connectivity,” she added.
Currently, 60 per cent of demand on the New Delhi-Bangkok route is driven by the FIT segment, with the remainder coming from group travel.
