Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang), which has been suffering from financial losses leading to it having to instigate a rehabilitation plan, is recruiting pilots and flight attendants again and will acquire two aircraft to serve high-season demand.
The airline's Chief Executive Officer Wutthiphum Jurangkool, speaking to the Thai newspaper Bangkok Post, said that the recruitment drive was evidence that its rehabilitation plan had been implemented effectively and that Nok Air had improved its finances.
Nok Air currently operates 22 aircraft, 14 B737-800s and eight Dash 8-400s, according to the ch-aviation PRO airlines module, but will acquire two further B737-800s by the end of the year.
Having recently launched services from Bangkok Don Mueang to Zunyi Xinzhou on November 2, Wuxi on November 9, it will also commence a 4x weekly operation to Changsha Huanghua on December 3, as well as a 3x weekly flight to Hiroshima International on December 18, according to the ch-aviation schedules module.
In addition, it has increased domestic frequencies from three to four daily on its Don Mueang to Buri Ram route, and from four to seven weekly flights on the Chiang Mai to Ubon Ratchathani sector, confirmed Wutthiphum.
Nok Air is the third-largest carrier at Don Mueang, behind Thai AirAsia (FD, Bangkok Don Mueang) and Thai Lion Air (SL, Bangkok Don Mueang), with sister company NokScoot (Bangkok Don Mueang) the fifth-biggest airline at the airport.
Nok Air reported a loss of THB470 million baht (USD15.5 million) in Q2 2019, down from a loss of THB742 million baht (USD24 million) in the same period last year, and a net loss of THB751 million baht (USD25 million) for 1H 2019, down from a loss of 774 million baht (USD26 million) year-on-year.
