CHINA’S reopening will provide Scoot with the much-awaited tailwind to reach capacity above pre-pandemic levels, said the budget airline’s chief executive, Leslie Thng.

The low-cost unit of listed Singapore Airlines (SIA) : C6L 0% had seen some years of losses before the pandemic. It managed to climb out of the red in recent quarters, and it is banking on the positive momentum to help it stay profitable in the new financial year.

In his first media interview since taking the helm in June 2022, Thng told The Business Times that flying at a capacity above pre-pandemic levels is one of Scoot’s priorities for FY2024, which starts in April.