Nok debuts Ho Chi Minh City flight

Nok debuts Ho Chi Minh City flight

Nok Air is expanding its international services with the debut of the long-awaited Ho Chi Minh City flights and additional frequency to Yangon.

The SET-listed budget carrier is to start serving Ho Chi Minh City from its Bangkok base at Don Mueang airport on Oct 1 with four flights a week, before ramping up to seven flights a week from Oct 25.

It will also introduce a third daily flight from Don Mueang to Yangon on Sept 2 in response to expected stronger demand on the route, according to the airline.

Ho Chi Minh City will become Nok's third active destination after Yangon and Hefei in China's Anhui province, launched early this year.

The launch of Nok's services to Ho Chi Minh City had been put off for years as the airline focused on expanding its domestic network.

The airline currently serves 24 cities in Thailand.

The Ho Chi Minh City service marks Nok Air's return to Vietnam since 2008 when it began to concentrate on expanding its domestic service after it suspended its loss-making international flights to Hanoi and Bangalore.

The service and the added Yangon frequency will be served by 189-seat Boeing 737-800 jets.

Nok is keen to expand its international coverage this year with a focus on southern China, with three or four cities including Nanjing and Chengdu on the radar screen, especially to tap fast-growing inbound tourism traffic.

In 2012, Nok operated a series of charter flights for tour groups flying from Nanjing to Bangkok.

Nok Air began to operate flights to Yangon from Bangkok in 2013, starting with four flights a week before moving to daily and twice daily.

NOK shares closed yesterday on the SET at 9.70 baht, down five satang, in trade worth 4.07 million baht.

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