Shaheen Air Announces Bangkok Flights

[Abbas Ali]

Shaheen Air is starting flights for Bangkok from May 20, 2016.


Source: shaheenair.com

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Twice-a-week service from Lahore to Bangkok starting from May 20.

Route: Lahore to Bangkok
Flight Number: NL-862
Days of Operation: Monday & Friday
Departure from Lahore: 5:35 AM
Arrival at Bangkok: 12:05 PM

Route: Bangkok to Lahore
Flight Number: NL-863
Days of Operation: Wednesday & Sunday
Departure from Bangkok: 12:10 PM
Arrival at Lahore: 3:00 PM
hr Twice-a-week service from Karachi to Bangkok starting from May 22.

Route: Karachi to Bangkok
Flight Number: NL-860
Days of Operation: Wednesday & Sunday
Departure from Karachi: 2:35 AM
Arrival at Bangkok: 9:35 AM

Route: Bangkok to Karachi
Flight Number: NL-861
Days of Operation: Monday & Friday
Departure from Bangkok: 2:10 PM
Arrival at Karachi: 5:40 PM

Source: shaheenair.com

Abbas

[Charliedelta11]

Their expansion is interesting. Its sort of mushroomed ever since they started getting their new 330's. But my concern is, when the lease for their first 3 A330's expires (which is towards the end of the year if I'm correct) will they be able to stick to the destinations they have started with the current frequencies?

[Guru]

Their expansion is interesting. Its sort of mushroomed ever since they started getting their new 330's. But my concern is, when the lease for their first 3 A330's expires (which is towards the end of the year if I'm correct) will they be able to stick to the destinations they have started with the current frequencies?

I think they must have planned in advance or else some of their new destinations like Bangkok and Kualalumpur could be served with A320.

[Abbas Ali]

.... and somewhere it was reported that Shaheen Air has plan to add some more dry leased A320s this year.

Abbas

[Amaad Lone]

I am sure an airline like Shaheen should have no problems getting some more A330-200.

I am guessing some more ex KLM A330-200s by end of 2016 standardizing the fleet to A330-200s and A320-200s.

Unlike PIA that added two wide bodies after a gap of eight years and has basically become a tender specialist airline.

Expanding to Manchester Kuala Lumpur Bangkok excellent move now if they can code share with an airline to Australia, Japan and certain Chinese cities they can clean out PIA in the Far East.

[Amaad Lone]

Excellent decision to operate four weekly flights to all the new destinations, catering to not only tourist but also a budget conscious businessmen.

[CoyBoy]

Expanding to Manchester Kuala Lumpur Bangkok excellent move now if they can code share with an airline to Australia, Japan and certain Chinese cities they can clean out PIA in the Far East.

They also serve Gaungzhou and have plans for Shanghai.

[Pakistan-1]

And still no Hong Kong

[umar744]

last time every May, June, July TG Thai Airways always full overbooked between BKK and Pakistan and BKK but when next month 20th May new NL Shaheen start BKK then perhaps maybe TG less seat not sure but wait and see.

[Abbas Ali]

Why PIA route planning/marketing department has not resumed flights to Bangkok?

Or is PIA happy with Thai codesharing?

Abbas

[pk758lhelhr]

It is nice that Shaheen opened bangkok and kuala lumpur. When they expand to the far east, they should expand to the west as well. Manchester is only a cash cow for the mirpuris, it is not contributing to the growth of Shaheen for the long run. Frankfurt,Amsterdam, Paris, Rome should be captured by Shaheen with the aim of connecting passengers to the far east. An airline such as Shaheen can fulfill a similar role like Mahan air does in Europe or even better. I think Pakistani airlines will gain more respect ( even from Pakistanis themselves) if they represent themselves in a international way and not as airlines which mainly serves Pakistani people.

[aviator773]

Why PIA route planning/marketing department has not resumed flights to Bangkok?

Or is PIA happy with Thai codesharing?

Abbas

PIA is planning to start Bangkok in June hopefully but I am sure by that time it will be quite late.

[Pakistan-1]

From what I heard PIA will be resuming the PK892 & 893 to Hong Kong via Bangkok form Islamabad and Lahore

[behramjee]

Hello,

Being involved with 2 reasonably sized airlines for the past 6 years managing their network and fleet planning, I beg to differ strongly with all the positive points put forward by the members on this thread due to the below mentioned reasons:

1. Shaheen cannot think of code sharing with any airline let alone interlining unless it first gets online on the GDS reservation system like Amadeus or Sabre. No airline in the world will code share with you and no professional airline would even interline if you're not on the reservation platform.

2. Starting a new route twice weekly is a complete joke in this day and age when the minimum requirement is either 3 or 4 weekly. See how Malindo launched LHE-KUL with 4 weekly nonstop flights and from JUL going to expand to daily (though it wont be sustainable in my opinion).

3. The A332 is too big to operate to BKK from LHE and KHI on its own individually and instead Shaheen Air should have opted to use A320s instead which can easily fly for 5 hours nonstop PAK-BKK-PAK.

If I had to give concrete advice to Shaheen Air, it would be as follows:

a) Do not fly to PVG-Shanghai as the market demand to/from PAK is less than half of what PAK-BKK and PAK-KUL is

b) LHE-CAN and LHE-KUL should all be flown via BKK with 5th freedom traffic rights so that the load remains consistently high with BKK and CAN/KUL sharing the spoils. I do not know how their current LHE-CAN route is performing but I would be surprised if its more than 60% full consistently when it isnt "exhibition season" in CAN-Guangzhou !

c) Use the A332s on year round high demand routes to UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia primarily where there is money to be also made on excess baggage + belly cargo.

d) The best aircraft to use on one stop PAK-SE Asia services is the A321-200.