Thailand’s LCC fleet to grow by about 50% in 2014
Nok plans to add four 737-800s in 2014 while Thai Lion plans to add six 737-900ERs. Thai VietJet Air, which is planning to launch domestic operations in Sep-2014, plans to have a fleet of three A320s by the end of 2014.
Overall Thailand’s LCC jet fleet is projected to expand by about 50% in 2014. If TAA joined other AirAsia affiliates in deferring fleet expansion, it would have not had sufficient additional aircraft to keep up with its competitors.
Thailand’s LCC fleet: end 2013 vs end 2014
Carrier
Number of jets
at the end of 2013
Projected number of jets
at the end of 2014
Thai AirAsia 35 (A320s) 43 (A320s)
Nok Air 14 (737-800s) 18 (737-800s)
Thai Lion Air 2 (737-900ERs) 8 (737-900ERs)
Thai VietJet Air 0 3 (A320s)
Thai AirAsia X 0 2 (A330-300s)
NokScoot 0 2 (777-200s)
TOTAL 51 76
Note: Excludes Orient Thai, which is now primarily an international charter and leisure carrier as its domestic low-cost operation has been reduced to only one route.
Excludes turboprops (Nok has two ATR 72s, just ended wet-lease of six Saab 340s and is taking two Dash 8s this year. Thai Lion is adding one ATR 72 this year).
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation
Thailand’s domestic market grew by 26% in 2013 to 22 million passengers, according to Thai DCA data. Even with its rapid expansion TAA was just barely able to keep up with the market. TAA sees a need to continue expanding at the same clip in 2014 as its rivals continue to expand rapidly and as yet another new LCC enters the market.
The focus by Nok and Lion on the domestic market comes partially because of the intensifying battle for domestic market share but also partially because the domestic market has been less impacted by the civil unrest. For the first two months of 2014 Airports of Thailand (AoT) reported a 4% drop in international passenger traffic while domestic traffic still increased 13% year over year. (AoT operates the five largest airports in Thailand and six out of the top 10 airports.)
The slower albeit still double-digit domestic growth is mainly driven by a slight reduction in traffic among full-service carriers. AoT reported LCC domestic growth of 20% for the first two months of 2014.
At Bangkok Don Mueang Airport, which is the base for TAA, Nok and Thai Lion, domestic traffic was still up a very healthy 25% through the first two month of 2014. In Dec-2013, the first full month after the unrest began and the month that Thai Lion launched services, domestic traffic at Don Mueang was up 29%, slightly surpassing the 27% and 28% figures for Oct-2013 and Nov-2013 respective