Two Thai low-cost carriers, Thai Eastar Jet and Thai Summer Airways, are likely to take off in 2020.
Both have received their air operating licenses (AOL) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and will need to begin commercial operations within a year.
They are now in the process of obtaining their air operator certificate (AOC), director-general Chula Sukmanop told the Bangkok Post.
Cirium has reached out to the CAAT for more details on the timeline for each start-up.
Cirium data shows that Thai Eastar Jet is a joint venture between local investors and South Korean LCC Eastar Jet. It has one 2010-built Boeing 737-800 in its fleet, formerly operated by Air China.
Chula said that Thai Eastar Jet is in the last phase of airworthiness testing and expects to receive its AOC in January. He added that its first commercial service will be between Bangkok and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
While the company has plans for South Korea, this may be hampered by the US Federal Aviation Administration’s category 2 safety rating for Thailand, in place since December 2015.
Thai Summer is widely reported to have Thai and Chinese investors. Its website states that it received its AOL in May and it will be based at U-Tapao International airport.
The start-up adds that it will begin operations with 737-800s and will focus on building its network within East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Likely destinations are China, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, India and Sri Lanka.
