Nok Air grounds Phuket-Hat Yai route

Nok Air has suspended its Phuket to Hat Yai service due to low passenger numbers and no increase in tourist traffic. This now means it is impossible to fly directly between the two major southern Thailand destinations.

The Executive Vice-President for Marketing at Nok Air, Sehapan Chumsai, has said there simply were not enough passengers to continue the service.

Nok Air launched the Phuket-Hat Yai service last June using Boeing 737-400 aircraft. It was then terminated on November 15 due to low passenger throughput and the clear indication that there was no profit to be made.

Nok Air resumed flights in December, however, in response to the high tourist season; although passenger numbers were still very low which has led to the cancellation.

Flights were generally only ever half full and were mostly made up of Thai nationals, even after the start of the high season.

In addition, although rival carrier One-Two-Go had a code-sharing agreement with Nok Air, they failed to book any passengers on any flight.

A smaller aircraft of about 70 seats for the Phuket-Hat Yai route could be the answer, although Nok Air has no plans to purchase any suitable aircraft just to service that route, Sehapan Chumsai said.

Phuket Air previously flew Phuket-Hat Yai with a 64-seat turboprop, while Thai Airways also used to fly direct with their standard 737s.

Getting to Phuket