Nok Air plans new routes for new planes

Nok Air is shifting into high gear to expand its all-domestic network to take advantage of increased capacity after it takes delivery of seven new aircraft. The budget airline has already firmed up plans for three new routes and will increase the number of flights on some existing routes, said airline officials said. It will also add more new routes and increase flight frequencies on other circuits, they said. By year-end, Nok Air will gain five single-aisle B737-800 jets and two ATR72-500 turboprops. The airline will retire four of its older B737-400s, but the new arrivals will significantly increase capacity, said the sources. Nok Air's current fleet consists of four Boeing 737-800s with 189 seats each, nine Boeing 737-400s with 150-168 seats and two ATR-72 aircraft with 66 seats. Its current network covers 20 cities excluding Bangkok, where it is based at Don Mueang airport. Finding new routes that offer good traffic potential is a challenge, said the sources. Nok Air will commence service between Bangkok and Chumphon on Oct 1, with one flight a day. The airline will also resume its Bangkok-Buri Ram route, which was suspended after Don Mueang airport was shut down by flooding last October. It will carry three flights a week on the route from Sept 1. The airline started four weekly flights between Chiang Mai and Mae Sot on July 15. Nok Air's secondary routes are operated by 34-seat Saab 340B turboprops chartered from Siam General Aviation or Nok Mini. The airline will also from Dec 1 increase flight frequency on the Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat route, on which it currently offers four B737 flights a day. From thailandtourismupdate