Kan Air eyes four jets for Koh Phangan

Kan Air eyes four jets for Koh Phangan

The Thai aviation group Kan Air plans to acquire up to to four Canadian-made Bombardier Q400 turboprops to launch commercial flights from Bangkok to Surat Thani's Koh Phangan.

A Q400 in Japan Airlines’ livery. Kan Air will deploy the Q400 on its Koh Phangan service.

The privately owned firm is in talks with two aircraft providers to lease two Q400s to embark on the first-ever air link to the home of the world-renowned full-moon parties, with an option for two more.

The arrival of the aircraft, which can carry 78 passengers over a maximum range of 2,500 kilometres with a cruise speed of 667 km/h, will be timed to match the expected partial opening in mid-2014 of the 900-million-baht airport Kan Air has been building on Thailand's fifth-largest island.

Founder and chief executive Somphong Sooksanguan told the Bangkok Post the selection of the Q400 fits with the airline's business model for flights to Koh Phangan.

The airline initially set its sights on the European-made ATR 42, capable of carrying 50 passengers, but opted for the larger Bombardier aircraft.

The Q400s being leased by Kan Air are about six years old. It plans to offer up to eight flights a day to Koh Phangan from Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports with the initial two aircraft.

Its decision to also operate out of Suvarnabhumi is to allow easy transfer of international tourists, who land mostly at Bangkok's main airport, to the island.

Kan Air will be the second Thai carrier to use the Bombardier turboprops.

Nok Air, Thailand's second-largest budget carrier, last month placed a firm order for two Q400 NextGen, the upgraded version of the Q400, and has also taken options for two more as well as securing purchase rights on four others.

It will be the first airline to operate the 86-seat Q400 NextGen in the region.

It is expected to take delivery of the two planes in the second quarter of next year to replace two leased ATR 72-500s that will be phased out of its operations, said chief executive Patee Sarasin.

Mr Somphong said construction of Koh Phangan airport, which is 40% completed, is being stepped up after being delayed by bad weather in the South.

The project forms part of the growing aviation-related portfolio of Mr Somphong, who recently became a 51% stakeholder in Thai VietJet Air, the Thai subsidiary of Vietnam's first privately owned no-frills carrier, VietJet Air.

He built his fortune on the debt-collecting service of Kannithi Co, which he founded eight years ago.

Koh Phangan airport, with its 1,100-metre runway, will support the expansion of Kan Air, which operates scheduled service from Chiang Mai to Nan, Pai, Mae Hong Son, Phitsanulok and Khon Kaen using its sole Cessna Grand Caravan, a single-engine propeller aircraft with 12 seats.

Last year, Kan Air acquired a Beechcraft Premier I, a US-made corporate jet capable of carrying eight passengers over a range of more than 2,500 km.

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