Author Topic: Nok Air may lease wide-bodied Boeing 787s  (Read 8001 times)

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Offline pilotguide

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Nok looks across borders for growth

Published: 21/07/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Business

SYDNEY : Having been on track to consolidate its core domestic operation, Nok Air is beginning to look at flying internationally again, albeit with larger aircraft over a longer distance.


http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20110721/290628.jpg
Nok Air may lease wide-bodied Boeing 787s to serve a possible renewal of its international flights. The aircraft can fly 15,000 km non-stop.


Looming on the budget airline's radar screen are services within up to seven flight hours from Bangkok to cover Japan, South Korea, Australia and China.

This appears to be the second of the two-step resumption of international flights that could possibly be launched over the next two years or so when Nok Air starts operating to closer destinations such as Vietnam and Singapore.

Nok Air is considering deploying the new generation of wide-body fuel-efficient jets - either the Boeing 787 or the Airbus 350 - to enable it to launch the longer-range flights, probably over the next five years, chief executive Patee Sarasin said yesterday.

"That's our next potential target after we complete consolidating our home base business," he told the Bangkok Post on the sidelines of Aviation Outlook Australia Pacific conference.

The airline has been concentrating on growing its business at home since 2008 when it suspended its loss-making international flights (to Vietnam and India) as part of a business turnaround programme that has already shown positive results.

"We can't remain a domestic carrier forever. We need to grow, and expanding internationally will be part of the long-term strategy," Mr Patee said.The international routes that Nok Air would launch should not replicate or duplicate those operated by other Thai airlines such as Thai Airways International or the flag carrier's proposed regional offshoot, which has tentatively been named Thai Wings.

"The way I see it, the regional routes are already crowded, and we need to look at different markets in order to be profitable," he noted.

Nok Air's short-to-medium growth plan is in progress with accords to lease seven Boeing B737-800 jets, which are about 20% more fuel-efficient than B737-400 jets, from GE Capital Aviation Services Ltd to modernise its fleet.

The first B737-800 is scheduled to enter Nok Air's fleet, now consisting of 10 B737-400s that will be replaced, in November.

Furthermore, Nok Air has reached an agreement to lease four ATR 72-500 turboprops from Denmark-based Nordic Aviation Capital, the world's largest lessor of turboprop aircraft.

The ATRs, under a five-year lease, will be delivered to Nok Air this year to support the airline's expanding secondary route network, now being served by two ATRs which are leased from THAI.

Nok Air, owned 39% by THAI and now in its seventh year of operation, intends to keep the two ATRs leased from the flag carrier.

The new-generation B787 and A350 planes Nok Air is looking for will have about 250 seats and fly over a distance of 15,000 kilometres non-stop, a better configuration and performance than the B737-800, which seats 189 passengers over a 5,600-km range.

Mr Patee told the conference that despite growing fuel price pressure, Nok Air has remained profitable this year and is on course to hit the forecast profit of 180-200 million baht for the whole of 2011.

However, this year's projected profit would be significantly lower than last year's record of 600 million baht, much to the effect of fuel prices, and despite its projection of revenue rising to 5.9 billion baht from 3.9 billion baht recorded last year.

The airline expects this year to record a load factor of 82-83%, not much less than last year's average of 85%, as the airline raised its aircraft capacity by 50%.

Nok Air on June 3 started flights to Narathiwat, its 18th destination, as it is moving to expand its domestic network to cover smaller cities with an expanding fleet of turboprop aircraft.

ที่มาครับ : http://www.bangkokpo...m/print/248036/


Offline DuraSail

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เป็นเรื่องน่ายินดีที่นกโตวันโตคืน เย่ๆ

ว่าแต่ จะเอา 787, 350 ไปทำหยังหว่า มันไกลเกินไปไม่เข้ากับ Marketing Strategy หรือเปล่าครับ O35

Offline aekkung

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เป็นเรื่องน่ายินดีที่นกโตวันโตคืน เย่ๆ

ว่าแต่ จะเอา 787, 350 ไปทำหยังหว่า มันไกลเกินไปไม่เข้ากับ Marketing Strategy หรือเปล่าครับ O35

787 กับ 350 มันมีหลายรุ่นนะเป๋ง แบบบินใกล้ๆ แค่ regional ก็มีนะ

Offline chanavorn

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น่าจะเป็น 787-3 รุ่นเล็กสุดแน่ๆครับ
ตัวนี้จุคนได้มาก แต่ใช้ในระยะใกล้ๆ

Offline Topview

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อยากให้รับ SP อย่าง TAA กับ THAI บ้าง  O05 O05