Phuket to Hat Yai air service cancelled

Nok Air has quietly suspended its loss-ridden Hat Yai-Phuket service, once again making it impossible to fly between the South’s two busiest airports.

Sehapan Chumsai, executive vice president for marketing, yesterday said there were not enough passengers to continue the service, which began last June 6 using 150-seat Boeing 737-400 aircraft.

The service was terminated last November 15 after it became clear it was not profitable even after the start of the tourist high season, he said.

Flights were typically only half-full, and the service showed no increase in passenger traffic during its initial six months, which persuaded the airline to discontinue it, he said.

“About 80 per cent of passengers were local Thais. Even after the start of high season, there was no increase in the number of foreign tourists [using the service],” he said.

Rival carrier One-Two-Go did not book any passengers on the flight despite a code-sharing agreement between the two airlines after they were both granted approval to launch the service about the same time last year, he said.

An aeroplane of about 70 seats is suitable for the route, but Nok Air has no plans to buy smaller aircraft to service it, he said.

Before Nok Air, Phuket Air serviced the route with a 64-seat Japanese-built NAMC YS-11 turboprop aircraft.

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