President Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said yesterday that the airline would operate three new routes this year: Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son, Bangkok-Danang in Vietnam, and Koh Samui-Guangzhou in China.

The carrier also intends increasing daily frequencies on the Bangkok-Phnom Penh route from five to six flights, on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route from seven to eight flights, on the Chiang Mai-KohSamui route from one to two flights during the high season, and on the Koh Samui-Singapore route from one to two flights.

“We expect to receive six or seven aircraft, including three ATR72-600s and three Airbus A319s, which will increase our fleet to 36 this year and help increase seating capacity by 4-5 per cent,” he said.

Bangkok Airways will also increase the number of its code-share partners from 20 airlines currently, he said, adding that it was in discussions with seven or eight Asia-Pacific carriers about this.

The airline expects the number of passengers it carries to rise to between 5.7 million and 5.8 million this year, 10-11 per cent up from 5.1 million in 2015.

The current load factor is 77 per cent, which is the peak to date for this year’s high season, while the load factor for the year to date is 68-70 per cent, Puttipong said.

The company plans to add 60-66 pilots this year to the current 328 that it employs, with about 45 of the new recruits coming from Bangkok Airways’ internal pilot training programme, he said.

The airline also plans to expand the terminal and commercial areas at its flagship airport in KohSamui, to cope with the growing number of people visiting the resort island.

Over the next 15-20 years, Samui Airport is expected to accommodate up to 5 million arrivals per year, against nearly 2 million last year.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways this year will celebrate its 48th anniversary with special promotions.

A total of 48,000 seats will be on sale online from March 15-21, with domestic fares starting at Bt480 per sector and international routes starting from Bt1,480 per sector.

The airline is also considering establishing marketing offices in the United States and South Africa, Puttipong said.

The carrier also recently launched plans to promote Thai foods and seasonal fruits as part of the Pracha Rath project, which has been initiated to stimulate the country’s economy.

Bangkok Airways passengers will each receive discount coupons for buying Thai food products. “Our revenue will grow 10-11 per cent this year, based on operating results of Bt24.9 billion for last year,” the airline chief said.

Net profit last year came in at Bt1.8 billion, some 379 per cent higher than in 2014.

Last year’s improved performance was due to growth in the number of passengers serviced by the carrier, better average fares, and a drop in fuel prices, he explained.

The airline will also launch a carbon-footprint campaign to promote greenhouse-gas control and environmental preservation, he added.