Thai Lion Air (SL, Bangkok Don Mueang) is planning to launch operations later this year the Thai civil aviation department has confirmed. Lion Air (JT, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) will set-up a joint venture with a yet unknown Thai entity that will own 51% in Thai Lion Air, similar to its Malindo Air (Kuala Lumpur International) joint venture that has just launched operations in Malaysia. Thai Lion reportedly plans to initially launch domestic and regional services with initially six B737-800s to be based at Don Mueang where it will join Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang), Orient Thai Airlines (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) and Thai AirAsia (FD, Bangkok Don Mueang) which also operate similar routes from Bangkok's old airport. Lion Air is also considering joint venture airlines in Australia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam in coming years.