Thai start-up Really Cool Airlines promises to ‘shatter the norm’ for aviation and offer passengers an ‘extraordinary full-service experience’. Rose Dykins reports
Thailand is set to gain a new long-haul airline, named Really Cool Airlines. Based out of Bangkok, the airline plans to launch flights connecting Thailand with Australia and Europe, and it also intends to serve some key Asian destinations.
The start-up promises to announce its first routes by June 2023, and is due to receive its first Airbus A350 plane by the end of the year.
The vision is for Really Cool Airlines is to offer a new long-haul, full-service option for Thailand that sets a new standard in terms of in-flight experience.
Really Cool Airlines promises an “extraordinary experience for passengers,” where “the norm of standard cabin configurations and cargo management is shattered, replaced with a premium experience that’s beyond your wildest dreams”.
Patee Sarasin is the creative force behind Really Cool Airlines and will be the airline’s CEO – he was also formerly CEO of Thailand-based low-cost carrier Nok Air.
“We are thrilled to introduce Really Cool Airlines and look forward to providing travellers with an exceptional flying experience,” Sarasin says. “Our team of experts has worked tirelessly to create a new standard for the aviation industry. We are excited about what we have in store in coming months.”
On its webpage, Really Cool Airlines says: “Yesterday, our future was uncertain. Our economy, in turmoil. Today, the dark clouds have passed. And we can take back to the skies. We were not ready for the turbulence that came before. Never again.”
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand welcomed 2.14 million tourists in January 2023. The tourism board has set a positive goal to attract 30 million tourists to Thailand in 2023, which is approximately 80 per cent of the 39 million tourists the nation welcomed in 2019.
“Thailand needs to increase the number of airlines. and flights available to more popular tourist destinations,” adds Sarasin.
In recognition of the role Really Cool Airlines will play in increasing the nation’s air travel network, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt says: “Really Cool Airlines’ commitment to providing a unique flying experience will not only enhance the travel experience for passengers but also contribute to the growth of Thailand’s resurgent travel and hospitality industries. We are excited to see what the future holds for the airline, and look forward to their inaugural flight.”