Commuter airline Kan Air has sought official permission to deploy up to six Airbus A320 family aircraft as it enters the jet service era after six years in operation.
The airline has lined up a couple of aircraft lessors for used A319 and A320 jets to support the expansion of operations that have been served by three aircraft.
The existing three are a 66-seat ATR 72-500 turboprop, a 12-seat single-engine Cessna Grand Caravan 208B turboprop and a Hawker Beechcraft Premier I, a six-seat business jet.
Somphong Sooksanguan, president of Kannithi Aviation Co, the operator of Kan Air, unveiled the Airbus proposal after an earlier plan to use Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100s went astray.
Kan Air held talks late last year with Russia's JSC United Aircraft Corporation about leasing three twin-engine SSJ100 regional jets to operate largely on the airline's domestic routes out of its Chiang Mai base.
Pending official approval, the intention is now to put two Airbus jets into the fleet this year and the other four next year, Mr Somphong told the Bangkok Post.
The jet aircraft would be used at first on three high-traffic domestic routes: Chiang Mai-Bangkok, Chiang Mai-Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Mai-U-tapao (Rayong).
Offering jet services will boost appeal to passengers, especially in terms of speed, as the Airbus would replace some of the routes now operated by the ATR 72-500 turboprop.
For instance, it takes the ATR 72-500 two hours to fly from Chiang Mai to Ubon Ratchathani, but that flight time will be halved by the Airbus, Mr Somphong said.
The Airbus would also allow Kan Air to launch charter flights out of Chiang Mai to China, the booming source market for Thailand's tourism industry.
Kan Air is in talks with a Chinese travel operator to make its Hawker Beechcraft Premier I business jet available for elite Chinese tourists for flights out of Chiang Mai, one of Chinese's most popular Thai destinations, to other points of interest in the country.
There is potential monthly demand for 3,000 elite Chinese who would use the business jet starting in July or August, according to Mr Somphong.
The airline's plan to reinstate a second ATR 72-500 has been put on the back burner.