Restaurant operator Mango Tree is aiming to take off at some of the world’s busiest international airports, as it embarks on the latest phase of its global expansion strategy.

The company, which currently operates more than 65 outlets in 16 countries, is planning to take advantage of the strong increase in global air traffic and the Asian travel boom to expand its global footprint.

A record 3.7 billion people travelled by air in 2016 and Asia Pacific is now the world’s largest region in terms of passenger traffic, accounting almost one-in-three air travellers worldwide.

Speaking at the 2017 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards in Toronto, Mango Tree’s global managing director, Trevor MacKenzie, said this presents a huge opportunity for the company. He now plans to open restaurants in some of the world’s biggest airports, in order to satisfy the appetites of this vast pool of potential customers.

Specific locations have not yet been announced, but they will be located both within the Asia Pacific region and beyond, focusing on major international gateways that cater to large numbers of Asian travellers.

This expansion strategy will build on Mango Tree’s two existing restaurants at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

“With millions of passengers passing through the world’s airports each and every day, this presents a significant opportunity for Mango Tree to introduce our innovative dining concepts to travellers around the world,” MacKenzie told delegates at FAB 2017. “In particular, we are focusing on key gateway airports within Asia and global hubs frequented by Asian travellers, in an effort to meet their demand for high-quality Asian cuisine.”

Mango Tree restaurants are currently present in some of the world’s major cities, including London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bangkok.