Commuter airline Kan Air has entered a new era of growth with the deployment of a new fleet of turboprop aircraft.
A new era: Kan Air staff transfer luggage from the airline’s first ATR 72-500 at Mae Hong Son airport.
The privately owned carrier earlier this month began to fly its first ATR 72-500 propeller and is due to take delivery of the second one around the middle of next month.
On its radar screen are a few more lease contracts next year so it can embark on a strategic expansion focusing on secondary domestic routes.
The introduction of the world's best-selling turboprop is an important step for the nine-year-old airline as the ATR 72-500 is the largest aircraft for the operator.
Until recently, Kan Air, owned by Kannithi Aviation, was only operating two small aircraft — a single-engine Cessna Grand Caravan 208B propeller with 12 seats, and Hawker Beechcraft Premier I, a six-seat executive jet that the airline normally avails for charter services.
The arrival of ATR 72-500s, with the first two leased from Nordic Aviation Capital Pte, a Singapore-based aircraft leasing firm, will enable Kan Air to expand in the way not possible by its two small aircraft.
For years, Cessna Grand Caravan 208B has been the airline's sole workhorse to operate short flights with light-traffic destinations and are not covered by more established carriers.
The first ATR 72-500 started its maiden service from its Chiang Mai base on Dec 5 to Mae Hong Son, followed by Khon Kaen on Dec 7 and Ubon Ratchathani on Dec 10 — all with a daily frequency.
When the second French-Italian made turboprop joins Kan Air in mid-January, the airline plans to add three routes — Chiang Mai-Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai-Hua Hin and Bangkok-Mae Sod, Kan Air president and founder Somphong Sooksanguan told the Bangkok Post.
Chiang Mai-Nakhon Ratchsima is a brand new route by any airline whereas Chiang Mai-Hua Hin and Bangkok-Mae Sot sectors are being reintroduced after a pause.
In August, Kan Air started to use its Hawker Beechcraft Premier I for Chiang Mai-Ubon Ratchathani, Chiang Mai-Hua Hin and Bangkok-Mae Sot, an exercise to spur traffic demand ahead of the ATR 72-500 arrival.
Kan Air offers an introductory fare starting from 990 baht for an all-inclusive one-way flights on board the three initial routes operated by the ATR 72-500.
For the time being, Kan Air will continue to deploy Cessna Grand Caravan 208B on its older routes from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, Pai, Chiang Rai, Nan and Phitsanulok.