Thailand's fledgling charter airline business will have a new player by the middle of this year.
Skylar Airways, a privately owned start-up carrier, hopes to take to the skies between mid-April and June. It is in discussions with an unnamed aircraft lessor for two Airbus A320-200 single-aisle jetliners.
The airline initially aims to tap inbound tourist traffic from China and India, the country's prime source markets, Skylar chief executive Darika Sarunyagate told the Bangkok Post.
By entirely focusing on inbound tourist traffic, Skylar will not compete with most Thai charter operators, who mainly rely on outbound tourists from Thailand.
As its charter operation with a maximum range of 4.5 flight hours from Bangkok is established, Skylar plans to upgrade to become a scheduled flight operator in 2016, Ms Darika said.
It will look to add more jetliners to the two initial A320-200s.
Two types of aircraft are under consideration: the E-190 narrow-body medium-range twin-engined jet produced by Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer, and the Airbus A319, the shortened version of the European-made A320
The E-190 can seat about 110 passengers in a single-class configuration, while the A319 can accommodate about 140 in a two-class layout.
In service for other operators since 2008, the A320-200s Skylar is sourcing will have seating for 180 passengers in a one-class configuration.
Skylar intends to position itself as "light premium" airline, the term used by THAI Smile (a budget subsidiary of Thai Airways International), once it offers scheduled flight services.
The carrier does not plan to operate on Thai domestic routes but intends to fly on secondary international routes connecting with Thailand, Ms Darika said.
"Our routes will not be those served by low-cost carriers, so there won't be any direct market competition with them," she said.
Skylar will operate in and out of Suvarnabhumi airport, rather than from Don Mueang, Thailand's de-facto hub for budget airlines.
The emergence of the Asean Economic Community by the end of this year should present market opportunities that Skylar can capture once it moves into scheduled flight services, Ms Darika said.