Nok Air gears up for space travel
Patee Sarasin, left, CEO of Nok Air, and John Moltzan, director of business development for Washington-based Space Adventures, at the agreement-signing ceremony yesterday.
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Nok Air has said it is getting into the space-travel business.
The budget airline has become the exclusive agent in Southeast Asia for Washington-based Space Adventures and will offer flights into orbit for Bt3.75 million per trip. Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin said that in accordance with the airline's policy of bringing innovative and "first in the world" services to travellers, it is now searching for Thailand's first space tourists. Initially, a trip into space will cost at least US$100,000 (Bt3.75 million). The flight will last about one-and-a-half hours, during which time the craft will spend 15-20 minutes in space. Patee said travellers booking now would have to wait about two years, until Space Adventures has gathered 200 paying passengers from around the world. Space tourists will also be required to undergo special training at their own expense and pay extra to travel to their launching pads in the US state of Florida or in Russia. Space Adventures has already appointed the Japan Travel Bureau to be its exclusive agent in Japan. Suchat Sritama The Nation
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