Nok Air plans to become a ‘lifestyle’ carrier
AIRLINE Nok Air is hopeful to see a better financial performance next year following its continuous improvement programme to increase operation efficiency and reduce costs, said its chief executive officer Piya Yodmani yesterday.
According to its filing of third-quarter performance to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Wednesday, the company and its subsidiaries had a net consolidated loss of Bt652.73 million, compared to over Bt1.07 billion in the same quarter last year.
Nok Air vice president for marketing Charaspan Srisawadi said that Nok Air planned to reposition itself as a “lifestyle” airline from the current low-cost flier.
The airliner has worked to turn around the operation through fleet rationalisation, cost reduction, increased flying ranges, and a boost to fleet capacity utilisation.
Piya said the airline aimed its fleet to achieve flying utilisation for an average 11 hours next year from the targeted over 10 hours next month and 9 and a half hours last month.
The airline has made purchase orders for eight Boeing 737 MAX aircraft since 2013, which will be delivered to it from 2019 until 2021.
Around 35 per cent of its revenues are now contributed by international routes, with the large majority still coming from domestic runs.
Nok Air operates 19 chartered flight routes to China, with those routes accounting for 20 per cent of its total revenue. It has announced additional chartered flights to China starting this month, featuring U-tapoa airport to Meixian, and U-tapoa to Datong, and before the end of this year, also Phuket to Xian and Don Muang airport to Wuxi.
The airliner operates 30 aircraft, of which one will be retired next month.
In a separate matter, NokScoot, Thailand’s medium-haul low cost airline, has welcomed its fourth aircraft Boeing 777-200 at Don Mueang Airport.
NokScoot is a joint venture between Singapore budget airline Scoot and Nok Air.
