Nok Air Steps Up Bangkok to Phuket Flights

29th Sep 2015

Nok Air VP for Marketing, Pinyot Pibulsonggram recently told the Phuket Gazette that it plans to step up existing Bangkok-Phuket flights as the peak months for air travel usher in. From Monday to Thursday the airline conducts five flights per day between Bangkok and Phuket but averages six flights per day every Friday and Sunday.

Using its Boeing 737-800 aircrafts, Nok Air regularly takes off at Don Mueang Airport ferrying passengers to Phuket island.

Mr. Pinyot commented that even after the Erawan Shrine crisis, the airline's load factor has remained stronger than ever. Load factor for flights to and from Phuket remains favourable at 90 per cent.

He disclosed that the Erawan bombing incident failed to dampen demand for Phuket flights because more than 90 per cent of its clientele visiting Phuket are from Thailand.

He added that continued strong demand (despite the crisis) was certainly unexpected.

Mr. Pinyot said that projected demand in October will rise further until the subsequent peak months.

Don Mueang is currently undergoing expansion but this is due for completion on or about February 2016. Nok Air projects that at around this time, it will further intensify Bangkok-Phuket flights at approximately seven times per day.

Demand for Phuket flights has exhibited tremendous improvement during the last five years. Typically, Phuket was visited mostly during the cool and dry months but today, Thailanders are seen to be frequenting the island even during the monsoon months. Nok Air has been actively promoting Phuket flights, informing local travelers about the intermittency of rains in the area.

Nok Air is very much pleased with the performance of its Bangkok-Phuket flight routes. In terms of load factor, it is one of the more profitable routes thus, the need to campaign for these flights has become negligible.

However, Mr. Pinyot sees that the airline could be missing out on opportunities presented by foreign travelers frequenting the island. He believes Nok Air should draw plans to lure more non-local travelers.

Thai AirAsia is a close competitor of Nok Air for domestic flights. Both are enjoying about 33 per cent of market share while Bangkok Airways, Lion Air, and Thai Smile share the remaining chunk.

The VP isn't bothered much by Lion Air's entry as another player attempting to capture the Thai market through air fares that are almost ludicrous. However he cited the incredibly low fare it charges for a Hat Yai-Bangkok flight. Advanced booking for this route would typically cost 700 to 1,400 baht for AirAsia and Nok Air travelers but for Lion Air passengers, flying this route would mean coughing out a measly 350 baht. Lion Air's low air fares may also pose a threat to land transport companies operating buses, trains, and vans according to observers.

While Lion Air's pricing strategy affects direct competitors who can't raise fares by a much bigger margin, Mr. Pinyot emphasized that the negative implication is merely on pricing and not on their load factors.

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