By Skies Magazine | November 17, 2014 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 10 seconds.
Thai low-cost carrier Nok Air is receiving its new Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft in quick order. Each one wears uniquely beautiful plumage, replicating different indigenous Thailand birds, and are also individually named. “Nok” means bird in Thai/Siamese. Four aircraft have now been delivered.
The first Nok Q400 was delivered on Aug. 27, 2014. It is the first Q400 manufactured with high density seating, and Nok Air is the launch customer for the new configuration. The arrangement seats up to 86 passengers (previously, 78 was common), offering a decrease of seven per cent fuel burn per seat and providing an operating seat cost advantage of up to 17 per cent compared to its closest turboprop competitor.
The next three Nok aircraft were delivered within just a couple of months.
Nok Air first ordered Q400s in a contract announced on Nov. 19, 2013. The order included two firm-ordered aircraft and six purchase options, two of which were converted to firm orders on March 31, 2014, and two more on July 16, 2014, at Farnborough. Based on the list price for the Q400 NextGen airliner, the firm order is valued at approximately US$66 million. More than 500 firm orders have been placed for Bombardier Q400s.
Nok Air is the Bangkok-based, low cost division of Thai Airways, and was established in 2004. It currently operates two ATR-72-500s (to be replaced by Q400s), and 16 leased Boeing 737-800NGs. It finalized a US$1.45 billion direct order with Boeing for eight Next-Generation 737-800s and seven 737 MAX 8s in May 2014, making it the first airline in Thailand to operate the 737MAX.
