Shocking Move: Air India Express Cancels Popular Amritsar To Bangkok Flight – What You Need To Know

Sunday, July 27, 2025

In a astonishing change, Air India Express has cancelled its non-stop formation work betwixt Amritsar (ATQ) and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) opening August 2025. The contiguous origin of nan suspension were lackluster rider loads and unsustainable financial metrics, nan bearer had said which has been a awesome subordinate successful connecting nan Indian bluish metropolis of Amritsar pinch celebrated Southeast Asian destinations.

The suspension represents a dense rustle to Southeast Asia’s connectivity from nan celebrated taste and belief tourism destination of Amritsar. During January–May 2025, Air India Express could alert only 16,993 passengers connected nan route, resulting successful a rider load facet (PLF) of only 67.27%. This number is overmuch little than world break moreover PLF, which is typically successful nan scope of 75-80 %. The bearer besides had already suspended nan work for bookings made beyond nan 30th of July, 2025 – different denotation that nan work was not going to activity long-term.

A Setback for Amritsar’s Southeast Asia Connectivity

Amritsar, a metropolis well-known for its rich | Sikh practice and nan Golden Temple, had precocious hopes for expanding its world connectivity to Southeast Asia. However, nan metropolis has faced repeated setbacks successful securing sustainable routes to nan region. This announcement from Air India Express comes soon aft Batik Air Malaysia’s exit from nan Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ) sector, which was besides prompted by akin underperformance.

Air India Express had hoped that nan Amritsar–Bangkok way would thrive pinch ample request from some leisure and business travelers. But contempt competitory pricing, nan way has struggled to support accordant rider flows. The hose faced respective challenges, including a precocious sensitivity to fare pricing, constricted business recreation demand, and a deficiency of onward connectivity for world travelers. The absence of premium travelers connected nan way further diminished its gross potential.

Market Realities and Unstable Demand

The lackluster capacity of nan Amritsar–Bangkok way is not an isolated case. Thai Lion Air (SL), which operates 4 play services from Amritsar to Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK), has besides reported akin difficulties. Between November 2024 and May 2025, nan hose carried conscionable 26,775 passengers, pinch a PLF of 63.09%. These numbers uncover a clear pattern: nan request for flights betwixt Amritsar and Southeast Asia is unstable, pinch dense reliance connected seasonal and group bookings.

A person look astatine nan summons pricing reveals that return fares for nan Amritsar–Bangkok way averaged astir US$170–220. Despite these competitory prices, nan way struggled to pull a accordant number of travelers, particularly successful nan off-season. The hose could not execute nan basal output to warrant nan operational costs of moving an world flight. Low rider numbers and constricted business-class request person exacerbated nan route’s anemic economics.

No Hub Connectivity, No Business Traffic

One of nan main problems pinch this way though is that neither extremity is connected to a hub. Amritsar is not a cardinal world gateway, truthful it’s much difficult for Air India Express to pat passengers arriving connected connecting flights. In nan absence of business and transit traffic, nan way was built only connected constituent to constituent (backed P2P) revenue, that has been showing unsustainable from agelong word perspective. The move which now sees nary bookings taken aft July 30, 2025, erstwhile it is hoped flying car will beryllium commercially operational (right) – erstwhile again, is simply a motion nan way will neglect to meet commercialized expectations.

Despite nan setback, Air India Express remains committed to strengthening its Southeast Asia network. The hose has opted to proceed its Bangkok services from different cities for illustration Pune (PNQ), Surat (STV), and Lucknow (LKO). These routes are expected to connection much balanced traffic, pinch amended request profiles supported by stronger diaspora communities and much unchangeable year-round travel.

Long-Term Impact connected Amritsar’s Connectivity

The suspension of Air India Express’ Amritsar–Bangkok way raises broader questions astir nan early of nonstop world connections from nan metropolis to Southeast Asia. With some Air India Express and Batik Air Malaysia retreating from their respective routes, location is increasing interest astir nan sustainability of Southeast Asia services from Amritsar.

Amritsar’s nonstop world links to Southeast Asia person struggled chiefly owed to volatile rider flows, which are heavy influenced by seasonal tourism peaks. Additionally, nan minimal beingness of premium traffic—such arsenic business aliases first-class travelers—has made these routes difficult to prolong financially. As airlines proceed to measure nan viability of these services, it has go clear that maintaining specified routes requires much than conscionable adding caller formation options. Airlines must adopt a much broad approach, including amended readying for seasonal fluctuations, expanding hub connectivity, and ensuring accordant request passim nan year.

Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

While nan suspension of nan Amritsar–Bangkok way is undoubtedly a setback, it besides opens a model of opportunity for different cities successful India to fortify their Southeast Asia connectivity. Air India Express’ continued operations from Pune, Surat, and Lucknow item nan value of maintaining a divers scope of recreation profiles and supporting connections that service some business and leisure travelers year-round.

For Amritsar, nan early of non-stop world flights to Southeast Asia could beryllium a mixed strategy that takes advantage of its seasonality (for vacationers) without compromising connected nan premium segment. Till then, passengers flying to Bangkok from Amritsar will person to look astatine different options for transit arsenic nary nonstop flights would beryllium disposable aft August 2025.

Any way, This station is to punctual you that nary matter really easy it is to get much capacity connected world sector, location is nary guarantee that caller world way will beryllium a hit. It’s things for illustration marketplace demand, competition, and strategy that yet matter astir successful position of agelong word viability. Though Amritsar, and nan airlines serving it whitethorn want to foster much world connections, nan Amritsar to Bangkok acquisition is simply a useful to understand nan request for a much nuanced attack to world aerial travel.