Summary
- Really Cool goals to begin operations in Q2 2024, initially serving Japan.
- For the primary few years, the airline – with possibly the world’s most unusual name – plans to make use of older leased Airbus A330-300s as an alternative of A350s (or potentially 787s).
- It intends to partner with other Thai carriers through codeshare and interline agreements.
Thailand’s Really Cool is certainly one of many startups that wishes to fly. It will be easy to dismiss it, especially as its presentation at Routes World in Istanbul featured a glossy video of how it will transform every little thing. Yet the that can will, for the primary few years, use older leased Airbus A330-300s, not A350s, as depicted throughout its marketing. A330s are, in fact, cheaper and more available, yet it doesn’t quite fit with promising
Will partner with other Thai carriers
Wutcharin Thatan, Head of Industrial, repeatedly said that Really Cool will This may involve bringing in tourists – up to now, so uncontroversial – but will partner with other carriers in Thailand, each on a codeshare and interline basis.
Photo: James Pearson | Easy Flying
This is kind of different and adds complication. He didn’t elaborate on when this will likely be, with which airlines, or on what routes. Does it suggest that the market cannot support one other carrier on a standalone basis? Not so, in response to Thatan.
To take off in Q2 2024
Founded in March 2023, Really Cool expects to receive its air operator’s certificate in the primary quarter of 2024 and to launch operations within the second quarter. It has been pushed back from December.
It can start with two leased, secondhand A330-300s, with two more expected to reach by the yr’s end. It’s unclear from which lessor they will likely be acquired. While Thatan presented, he replaced the CEO, Patee Sarasin (below), who was absent attributable to apparently negotiating more aircraft.
Image: Really Cool Airlines
Really Cool will likely be based at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Thailand’s essential airport. Thatan said it’s because the Thai capital is Virtually every startup airline says they are going to give attention to such markets, however it does depend upon where exactly is supposed.
Japan will likely be first
Thatan said it will initially serve Japan, especially Tokyo Narita and Nagoya. While Narita (and Tokyo generally) is an unlimited market from Bangkok, it’s hardly underserved. It will be the sixth carrier on the airport level, with eight day by day services in Q2. Bangkok-Haneda has an additional seven day by day flights with three carriers. No operator now flies between Don Mueang and the Japanese capital.
As Bangkok-Nagoya is barely served by Thai Airways (day by day), it’s somewhat different. In August 2023, about 40% of 20,000 or so roundtrip passengers that month flew via a hub, in response to booking data. It was fairly underserved and ought to be easy to stimulate demand.
Photo: Josef Hanus | Shutterstock
Further ahead, Really Cool will add other big Asian cities, and cited Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei as key targets. As they’ve multiple full-service airlines and LCCs, I struggle to see how they’re underserved.
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A350s or 787s in the long run
While Really Cool anticipates 4 A330s by the top of 2024, they are going to adding rather more fuel-efficient (but dearer) A350s or 787s. Thatan neither specified variants nor confirmed in the event that they would replace or complement the A330s. Nonetheless, he said they’d be used to launch service to Europe and Australia.