Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE
Bangkok Airways has signed agreements for a complete overhaul of its fleet, upgrading and expanding its turboprops and also developing plans for regional jet operations.
The airline says it has signed an agreement with ATR to replace its current leased fleet of eight ATR 72-200s and one ATR42-300, with 12 new ATR 72-500s.
It has also completed a deal to lease two additional Boeing 717-200s from Pembroke Capital, on top of the agreement for two aircraft announced earlier this year.
The first of the 125-seat Boeings is to be delivered on 15 November, with the second expected to arrive around March 2001. The last two are expected to arrive in about 2003, says Bangkok. The ATR fleet rollover and expansion will also be complete in 2003. All the lease agreements incorporate options to buy, says the carrier.
The turboprop fleet will be used on the carrier's domestic route network. The first of the 717s is earmarked for operations to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia, while the second is likely to be used on the route from Singapore to the Thai holiday island of Koh Samui.
Along with Sukhothai, Koh Samui is a secondary hub for Bangkok Airways, and the airline opened its own airport on the island in 1989.
It says airport facilities and the runway have already been upgraded to accommodate 717 operations, adding that load factors on the Samui-Singapore route are healthy at 70-80%.
The airline is also understood to be looking at expanding its regional operations to incorporate destinations such as Bali and Medan in Indonesia. Airline officials say they expect tourism in Thailand to grow at an annual 8%.
Source: Flight International
