Thai Lion Air to double in size by end of 2016, further impacting Nok Air and Thai AirAsia

Thai Lion Air plans to double the size of its fleet over the next 16 months, giving it a potentially larger operation than long established Nok Air by the end 2016. Thai Lion launched operations at the end of 2013, has already captured more than a 20% share of Thailand's fast-growing domestic LCC market and should see its share exceed 30% by the end of 2016.

Thai Lion currently operates 13 737-900ERs and recently took delivery of its first two 737-800s, which it will use to launch services to secondary domestic airports that cannot accommodate 737-900ERs. Thai Lion plans to take five more 737-800s by the end of 2015 and add 10 aircraft, a mix of -800s and -900ERs, in 2016.

Thai Lion's domestic network will grow from 10 to 13 destinations over the next few months. The carrier also resumed international services on 15-Aug-2015 with a daily flight to Singapore and plans to launch several destinations in China by the end of 2015.