Thailand's Siam Seaplane awarded an OL

Thailand's P80 Air secures AOL, eyes 3Q24 launch

Thailand's Ministry of Transport has issued an air operator's licence (AOL) to P80 Air. The AOL is a precursor to securing an air operator's certificate (AOC). The startup is now eyeing a launch in the third quarter of 2024.

P80 Air spokesman Sorakrit Wannala told Bangkok-based media outlets this week that he expects it to take eight to ten months to gain the AOC, after which the airline wants to start flying on the Thailand - China country pair using B737-800s. Wannala says P80 Air intends to have four aircraft flying within 12 months of its first flights.

The airline is one of several startups in Thailand, including Really Cool Airlines, Landarch Airlines, and Siam Seaplane, attempting to get into the air and capitalise on resurgent inbound traveller flows into the country.

Bangkok's Mahagitsiri family is behind P80 Air. Patriarch Prayut Mahagitsiri is reportedly Thailand's 12th richest person with a net worth of USD2.5 billion. He made his money in the coffee industry and has a long-standing joint venture with...

Cambodia's Samra Seaplanes outlines tentative start date

Cambodia's Samra Seaplane (Siem Reap) says it hopes to start revenue operations towards the end of this year or early 2024, with flights to domestic destinations within a 90-minute flying radius of Phenom Penh.

A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Seaplane Asia Ltd, the start-up recently signed a joint venture agreement with The Royal Group of Cambodia, a holding company with interests across multiple sectors, including tourism, which will facilitate the transfer of tourists from the Cambodian capital to Royal Group's various accommodation and tourism interests around the country.

"We are aiming to commence our seaplane service towards the end of 2023 or early 2024, pending licensing," says Samra Seaplane's website. "Implementing a phased approach and initially focused route network allows for a realistic execution while ensuring commercial viability from an early phase."

Citing existing seaplane services in other markets, Samra Seaplane says it could charge between USD300 and USD700 per passenger per flying hour, allowing for "healthy unit economics and margins." For its core tourism market, it nominates centres such as Siem Reap,...

Thailand's Siam Seaplane eyes 4Q23 ground launch

Siam Seaplane set for mid-2023 launch, eyes foreign AOCs

Siam Seaplane (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) is preparing to launch charter operations during summer 2023, initially using fixed-runway airports, and also sees opportunities for establishing sister airlines in other South-East Asian countries, Chief Business Officer Denis Keller told AirwaysMag.

"The company has taken delivery of its first Cessna (single turboprop) C208EX Grand Caravan aircraft and is now concluding its registration process. The launch of flights is imminent," Keller said. "We start with ground-to-ground charter flights and scenic flights first. And, as water landing sites are put in place, a smooth transition into amphibious seaplane flying will kick off."

The start-up took its first aircraft, N154SB (msn 208B-5076), on November 11, 2022, and has now re-registered it as HS-SSP in Thailand. However, Siam Seaplane has also yet to complete its own certification.

Keller said a further two C208s will arrive "in the coming months". Over the next five years, Siam Seaplane foresees a fleet of up to 15 aircraft in Thailand. It will initially base the aircraft out of one of the Bangkok airports....