Nok Air to end Nok Mini cooperation with Siam General Aviation ch-aviation PRO exclusive

Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang) shareholders have agreed to inject an additional THB490 million baht (USD14.8 million) into NokScoot (XW, Bangkok Don Mueang), the Thai LCC's joint venture with Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi), The Bangkok Post has reported.

Following the additional capital injection, NokAir will retain its 49% stake in the long-haul low-cost carrier.

The injection comes as a part of a plan to raise NokScoot's paid-up capital from the current THB1 billion bahts (USD30 million) to THB3 billion bahts (USD91 million). The carrier will use the additional funds to expand its fleet and launch new routes out of its base at Bangkok Don Mueang to East Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

NokScoot currently operates five B777-200s dry-leased from Singapore Airlines and is in the process of adding its first two B737-800. It is also eyeing more narrowbody Boeing equipment in 2019, possibly including B737-8s, which would be deployed on thinner medium-haul routes and free up the widebody capacity.

Nok Air and NokScoot...

SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) has taken delivery of its first 90-seat Dash 8-400, becoming the first operator of the extra-capacity version of the Bombardier turboprop.

"The additional seats and performance improvements will result in substantial reduction in unit costs and also we will enable us to address our market needs in the regional space," SpiceJet's Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said.

The aircraft, VT-SQA (msn 4583) left Toronto Downsview on September 21 on delivery to India via Goose Bay, Reykjavik Keflavik, Bournemouth, Bucharest Otopeni, Trabzon, and Al Fujairah.

The Indian low-cost carrier already operates twenty-two Q400s. All of SpiceJet's current Q400 aircraft are equipped with 78 seats. It deploys the aircraft to 38 destinations across India as well as to Colombo Int'l, Dhaka, and Malé with Hyderabad Int'l, Chennai and Bangalore Int'l being the three most important bases for its turboprop operations.

Air Philippines (2P, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) and Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don...

NokScoot (XW, Bangkok Don Mueang) is planning to add four Boeing narrowbodies in 2019 and is leaning towards B737-8s, CAPA has reported.

The long-haul low-cost airline, a joint venture between Thailand's Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang) and Scoot (TR, Singapore Changi) (itself a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines), is currently inducting its maiden narrowbody jet, a B737-800. It plans to operate two units of the type in 2018, in addition to five B777-200s.

NokScoot will initially deploy the B737-800s on its existing routes out of Bangkok Don Mueang to each of Xi'an Xianyang and Taipei Taoyuan, and will also use the type to launch a new route to Fukuoka. In general, the airline would deploy the narrowbodies on thinner medium-haul routes, freeing up the B777s for both longer sectors and more in-demand short- and medium-haul routes.

Going forward, the carrier intends to further grow its narrowbody fleet, although it has not yet decided whether it will add more B737-800s or choose B737-8s....