Kan Air plans new Satun airport
Published: 3/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Kan Air, a new startup airline that took to the local skies last February, hopes to build an airport and acquire three more aircraft.
The Thai-owned carrier wants two Airbus A318s or A319s and a second Cessna Grand Caravan 208B prop-driven plane while also looking for land to develop an airport in the southern province of Satun.
President Somphong Sooksanguan is bullish about the growth potential of the new airline, built from the fortune he made from Kannithi Co Ltd. That company was founded in 2005 to provide debt management services and litigation in hire-purchase cases, mostly involving cars.
Mr Somphong is negotiating for 800 rai of land in Tha Phae district of Satun to build an airport, which initially will have a runway 1,100 metres long and 45 metres wide, before extending the length to 2,100 metres later to accommodate jets.
The airport will cost 400 million baht, with half of that land acquisition.
Construction should start this year, meaning it could become operational as soon as next year, as he is eager to tap tourism opportunities in Satun, home to popular islands such as Koh Tarutao.
Additional airplanes would be a huge boost to capacity, as it operates only a single-engine turboprop with 14 seats on five interprovincial routes out of its base in Chiang Mai.
Mr Somphong said the airline was looking at either buying or leasing the two Airbus jets, which could be deployed next year, while the Cessna should be available later this year.
The twin-engine Airbus, capable of carrying 120-130 passengers and costing US$45 million if bought new, would serve Kan Air's domestic network and Laos.
The second Cessna would allow the airline to start new routes in the South such as Phuket-Hat Yai and Phuket-Betong.
The airline may opt to buy a used Cessna rather than a new one, which would cost more than 60 million baht, to ensure early delivery.
Mr Somphong, a 34-year-old native of Phatthalung, said the market response to Kan Air's initial routes was encouraging.
Kan Air offers flights from Chiang Mai to Pai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Nan and Mae Sot.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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