Nok Air has announced its plans to assess passenger sentiment and ensure safety before introducing Boeing 737 Max 8 jets to its fleet. The airline has already made a deposit to lease eight aircraft of this type. Recently, accidents involving Boeing 737 Max jets, including a recent incident with an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9, led to the grounding of these aircraft across the US by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Following the FAA’s instruction, many authorities, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, took similar measures.
The CEO of Nok Air, Wutthiphum Jurangkool, stated that the airline will closely monitor passenger feedback and consider FAA instructions before accepting the delivery of these aircraft, which is expected in 2025. Despite previous incidents involving the Boeing 737 Max series, local passenger perceptions were not significantly impacted, and they continued to travel with local airlines operating these jets.
Nok Air is also applying for an International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit, a standard requirement for commencing codeshare operations with international airlines. This codeshare strategy aims to generate reliable income from foreign guests and reduce reliance on the domestic market, which can be affected by price wars on certain routes.
Additionally, Nok Air has discussed route cooperation with Thai Airways International (THAI), as THAI does not have a sufficient fleet size to cover the entire domestic market. In the coming months, Nok Air plans to expand its operations to Suvarnabhumi airport, in addition to its existing hub at Don Mueang airport. The airline aims to carry inbound passengers from THAI to other provinces and is open to upgrading the cooperation to a codeshare partnership in the future.
As Nok Air is undergoing a rehabilitation process, Mr. Wutthiphum mentioned that the company will request major shareholders to inject 600 million baht to support its network expansion this year. Nok Air aims to import three jets for its 14-plane fleet, specifically for routes to China and India. The airline recognizes that relying solely on domestic routes does not guarantee profitability and intends to increase its focus on international routes, aiming for 10% of revenue from international operations, up from 5% in 2019.
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