Today, Thai low-cost airline NokScoot launched flights between its Bangkok Don Muang airport and Sapporo on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
With that it became the second airline to connect the two airports, and the third one to operate flights between Bangkok and Sapporo.
XW146/145: Bangkok Don Muang – Sapporo and Back
NokScoot, a joint-venture between Thailand’s Nok Air and Singapore’s Scoot, operated the first flight between Bangkok Don Muang (DMK) and Sapporo New Chitose (CTS) airports earlier today.
Going forwards, the route will be operated four times a week with the following schedule:
- XW146 / DMK – CTS / 4:00AM – 12:15PM (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays)
- NZ1 / CTS – DMK / 2:55PM – 8:35PM (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays)
The flights will be operated by the sole aircraft type in NokScoot’s fleet, Boeing 777-200ER. The aircraft features 24 “ScootBiz” recliner seats and 391 economy class seats for a total of 415 seats.
NokScoot is the third airline to connect Bangkok and Sapporo. The two other airlines to connect the two cities are Thai Airways (daily flights to Suvarnabhumi airport) and Thai AirAsia X (daily flights to Don Muang airport).
The airline’s parent, Scoot, operates flights to New Chitose airport as well. It runs four weekly flights from Singapore via Taipei using its 787-8 aircraft. The airline has fifth freedom rights between Taipei and Sapporo as well.
As for NokScoot’s presence in Japan, Sapporo is its third destination. The other two are Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai – both of which it connects with Bangkok Don Muang once a day.
Summary
While NokScoot is the third airline to connect the Thai capital and Sapporo – and with only four weekly flights, it offers the most limited schedule – chances are it will be able to fill its aircraft.
Especially so in the winter season when the destination is popular among tourists from Southeast Asia and when Thai Airways upgrades the aircraft type it uses on the flight from 777-300s to 747-400s.
That said, whether NokScoot will be able to sustain the route all year round remains to be seen.
