Thailand’s first ever seaplane airline to launch this summer
Thailand‘s first-ever seaplane airline ‘Siam Seaplane‘ is preparing to launch this summer to take the kingdom’s tourism industry to the next level.
Siam Seaplane has formed partnerships with 60 luxury hotels and resorts, including top brands Intercontinental and Four Seasons.
In an interview with AirwaysMag, Chief Business Operator Dennis Keller revealed that the company faced plenty of setbacks during the pandemic, but is now working on securing over 40 landing sites around Thailand.
Keller pointed out that Thailand is among the top ten tourist destinations in the world, and with so much coastline, seaplanes are the “premium product” missing from the market.
After the company’s founders realised this untapped opportunity in Thailand’s aviation industry, they entered into conversations with the Thai government about the reality of introducing Siam Seaplane in 2019.
It took two to three years of coordination with the government to ensure that flying seaplanes was a safe and viable option, said Keller.
Siam Seaplane has received its first aircraft delivery, a Cessna Grand Caravan with a beautiful interior, and is expecting the delivery of two additional aircraft in the coming months. By five years, the airline hopes to flaunt a 15-aircraft-strong fleet.
At first, the airline will offer ground-to-ground charter flights and scenic flights before going commercial.
Once water landing sites are given the go-ahead, the amphibious aircraft will be used to its fullest extent.
The airline’s primary hub will be Bangkok, to serve the Gulf of Thailand, including hot destinations like Koh Samui. Most flights will take around one and a half hours.
Siam Seaplane is eyeing a second hub, in Phuket or Krabi, to serve the Andaman Sea.
Rumour has it that in the future, a seaplane will connect Phuket to Thailand’s most stunning island, Koh Lipe, which recently gained its first luxury resort.
The airline has big expansion plans. Siam Seaplane is part of the holding group Seaplane Asia, of which Thailand will hopefully be the first of many regional markets.
Keller revealed that Siam Seaplane hopes to expand into Indonesia and Cambodia. Stakeholders in Myanmar showed interest in the idea, however, Keller said “the political situation is challenging at the moment.”
