As travel restrictions across the Asia-Pacific region continue to ease, Thai LCC Nok Air is returning to the Indian market later this month with its first flights to Hyderabad (HYD).

The airline launched an inaugural Indian route in April 2019, offering a limited service between Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) and Vishakhapatnam (VTZ). A second route to Guwahati (GAU) then operated from October through January 2020. However, Nok has been absent from India ever since. 

The carrier plans to restart Indian operations from Bangkok Don Mueang to Hyderabad on Feb. 19, operating four times per week using Boeing 737-800s. The nonstop flights on the 2,401-km (1,297-nm) sector will offer some 1,512 weekly seats between the cities.

OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that Nok will provide indirect competition for Thai Airways International, which links Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Hyderabad daily using 787-8s, providing 3,584 two-way weekly seats.

Thai Airways has been a long-time operator of Bangkok-Hyderabad flights, although SpiceJet also served the market between October 2018 and April 2019, and Thai Smile between May and October 2022.

According to figures provided by Sabre Market Intelligence, O&D traffic between Bangkok and Hyderabad totaled 129,695 two-way passengers in 2019, equivalent to about 177 passengers per day each way. The latest data suggests traffic was around 48,000 two-way passengers during the first 11 months of 2022.

Nok will be seeking to target inbound leisure traffic on the new route, with its extensive domestic network in Thailand offering connections to destinations including Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool has stated he hopes Hyderabad will be a steppingstone to further expansion in India this year.