With Asia now an open market, Thailand's budget carrier Nok Air is expanding its network westwards by adding connections from Bangkok to Hyderabad in India.

A new service from Bangkok to India

From its base at Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), now Bangkok's second gateway, Nok Air will commence flights to Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) on February 19th. Nok Air will be the only service between Don Mueang Airport and Hyderabad, with Thai Airways, the only other airline offering direct flights between Bangkok and Hyderabad, which operate from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). In November, Nok Air opened its Nok Air Lounge at DMK, which is available for holders of Nok Max tickets or Nok Smile Plus members.

The four-times weekly service, DD958, will depart Bangkok on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 21:30 for the 3:45 hour flight to Hyderabad, landing at 23:45. Return flights, Nok Air DD959, will leave HYD at 00:45 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday to arrive back in Bangkok at 06:05. Currently, round-trip economy tickets from Bangkok are selling for 8,980 Thai baht ($274).

Nok Air will operate the route with a Boeing 737-800, one of the fourteen in its fleet. The aircraft is configured in a six across two-class layout of 189 seats, including 147 in economy and 42 in economy plus. The economy seats have a pitch between 28-30 inches, while the economy plus seats have a pitch of 31 inches.

nok air at lampang airport
Photo: Golfpotter/Shutterstock

According to ch-aviation.com fleet data, Nok Air also has three De Havilland DHC-8-Q400 turboprops, which can carry 86 passengers. Overall, Nok Air has a relatively young fleet with an average age of 8.4 years. The 737-800s average 8.7 and the Dash 8s average 8.1 years old.

Hyderabad is Nok Air's first and, so far, only destination in India. The route aims to attract Indian tourists to Bangkok or to seamlessly connect with more than 20 other destinations in Nok Air's domestic network. Nok Air CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool said the airline plans further expansion in India in 2023.

"India is a very important and old friend of Thailand, and at Nok Air, we are elated to welcome onboard passengers from Hyderabad with direct flights starting February 19, 2023.

"We hope to increase the connectivity to more cities in India this year. Nok is the No. 1 choice among Thai carriers, providing customers true value for money, reliability, convenience and care."

Nok has extensive domestic connectivity

Nok Air taking off at Chiang Rai
Photo: Sudpoth Sirirattanasakul/Shutterstock

Nok Air has an extensive domestic network, with direct connections from Bangkok to the popular tourist destinations of Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. It also operates internationally to destinations in five countries, including Yangoon in Myanmar, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Nanning in China. Tapping into the vast potential market opportunities in India is a smart move by the airline and may well pay off quickly for the Thai low-cost carrier.

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The airline is managed by Nok Airlines Public Company Limited and has Thai Airways International as its majority shareholder. It was initially registered as Sky Asia Limited in February 2004, which was subsequently changed to Nok Airlines, and has been trading on the Stock exchange of Thailand since June 2013.

Source: Thethaitiger.com