Nok Air: Six months liquidity remaining

Nok Air estimates it can sustain its business for another six months, although the uncertain market outlook makes predictions difficult. The recurrence of virus cases locally is affecting the rehabilitation plan, which is scheduled for submission to the Central Bankruptcy Court on March 15, as the airline has to revise it again, said Wutthiphum Jurangkool, Nok Air's CE. The revision is unlikely to delay the time frame of the rehabilitation process, which started on Dec 15, 2020, when the court's order was published in the Royal Gazette. Nok Air has three months from the announcement date to finish the plan. The airline and passengers are learning to cope with the virus a year into the pandemic, which makes planning easier to manage, said Kasemsant Weerakun, Nok Air's chief strategic officer. Predicting passenger demand is harder, as numbers dropped drastically even without a nationwide lockdown order from the government as seen last year. The airline's load factor dropped to 40% from 80% before the fresh outbreak.<br/>