The owners of PB Air have decided against trying to revive the Thai regional carrier.
PB Air shuttered its operations late last year when it returned an ATR 72 that it leased from Bangkok Airways.
It was planning to resume operations again using Saab 340s leased from US leasing company AeroCentury, but PB Air CEO Pornsartid Naruenartwanich and business development director Heribert Gaksch say that the carrier officially ended as a business on 21 December.
The company license was surrendered to Thailand's department of commerce. says Wuthichai Singhamanee, director-general of the country's department of civil aviation. The air operator's certificate will be surrendered soon, he adds.
Gaksch says there are several reasons why "the owners of the airline decided to throw on the towel".
They include the delay in negotiations with AeroCentury, and the fact that PB Air was unable to secure Thai Airways International's two ATR 72-200s, he adds.
PB Air wanted to use the Saabs on short-haul routes and lease ATRs for longer-haul routes, he adds.
If it had re-launched operations, it would have faced competition from SGA Airlines which has secured two Saab 340s and will be operating Thai Airways' two ATR 72-200s.
SGA Airlines, which is rebranding itself Nok-Mini, has a close business partnership with low-cost carrier Nok Air, an associate of Thai Airways. SGA will be using the ATR 72s that Thai is transferring to Nok Air.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
