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Thai Airways International

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Thai Airways International
การบินไทย
IATA
TG		 ICAO
THA		 Callsign
THAI
Founded 1957
Commenced operations 1 May 1960
Hubs Suvarnabhumi Airport
Focus cities
Frequent flyer program Royal Orchid Plus
Member lounge Royal First Lounge
Royal Orchid Spa
Royal Silk Lounge
Royal Orchid Lounge
Alliance Star Alliance
Fleet size 90 (+12 orders)
Destinations 71 (58/12)international/domestic
Parent company Thai Ministry of Finance[1]
Company slogan Smooth as silk
Headquarters Bangkok, Thailand
Key people Ampon Kittiampon (Chairman) Piyasvasti Amranand(President)
Website: http://www.thaiair.com

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (Thai: การบินไทย)(SET: THAI) is the national air carrier of Thailand, operating out of Suvarnabhumi Airport, and is a founding member of the Star Alliance network. It is headquartered in Bangkok.[2] Thai Airways International is a major shareholder which hold 39% shares of Nok Air - a low-cost Bangkok based carrier. The airline also operates one of the longest non-stop commercial flights, including the 18 hours non-stop flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles.
Skytrax awarded Thai Airways International 'Worlds Best Cabin Staff and The Best Airline in the World' in 2006, while placing second in the 'Airline of the Year' category in 2007.[3]. Thai Airways International's first class lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport was awarded by Skytrax as the world's best first class lounge again in 2009.

Contents

[edit] History

THAI started as Thai Airways International, a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines System or SAS which initially held a 30% share capital of 2 million baht, along with a domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (Thai: เดินอากาศไทย). SAS helped THAI in managing, marketing and operating its business.

On April 1, 1977, after 17 years of capital participation by SAS, the Thai government bought out the remaining 15% of SAS-owned shares and THAI became an airline fully owned by the Thai government.

The carrier's first flight was on May 1, 1960, flights were operated to nine overseas Asian destinations out of Bangkok. The first intercontinental services started in 1971 to Australia, then to Europe in 1972 and North America in 1980.

On April 1, 1988, Thai Airways Company or TAC, which was the operator of all domestic flights, and Thai Airways merged to form the present company, Thai Airways International.[4]

Thai Airways International's headquarters

On June 25, 1991, THAI listed its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and offered them to the public. The THAI public offering of shares is the largest ever undertaken in the country.

The arrival of the A340-500 and A340-600 coincided with a change to the airline's image, including a new livery and a revised font for the title "THAI".

On May 1, 2005, the airline began a nonstop Bangkok-New York service (TG790/791) with a new A340-500. The New York-bound flight time was 16 hours 55 minutes and Bangkok-bound flight time was 17 hours 10 minutes. Routing from New York/JFK was via Bergen; Oslo; Stockholm; the Baltic States; south of Moscow; Kabul; south of Delhi and on into Bangkok. Routing from Bangkok/BKK was north over Laos and Vietnam; then over China and into Siberia; north to a very short crossing of the Chukchi Sea to near Nome, Alaska; east past Cambridge Bay and the southern end of the Northwest passage; then southeast over Hudson Bay to a point between Ottawa and Montreal and finally over the Adirondacks and the Hudson Valley down into JFK.

Citing very high fuel costs, Thai discontinued the JFK service as of July 1, 2008, even though the airline had been able to fill 80% of the seats, leaving LAX as the only Thai Airways destination in the United States. [5]

After achieved profitability for the last 40 years, THAI made a loss for the first time in 2008 at around 21 billion Baht on high fuel costs and Thailand's political situation.[6]

Thai Airways has announced that it is trying to sell its fleet of four Airbus A340-500 aircraft which was used to fly between Bangkok and New York, but has not yet done so due to the world economic crisis and the weak market for an aircraft with a relatively high seat-mile-cost. The Airbus A340-500s are now being used for flights between Bangkok and Oslo and the planes will not be sold.

[edit] Destinations

Main article: Thai Airways International destinations

[edit] Corporate image

Thai Airways is one of the few airline with a uniform change policy. International female flight attendants are required to change from their corporate purple suits (for use outside the cabin) into their traditional Thai dress (as seen on the company's marketing campaigns) prior to the general boarding of passengers. They are also required to change back into the former prior to disembarkation. Cabin crew of other nationality other that Thai, are not allowed to wear the traditional Thai dress.

[edit] Fleet

Boeing 747-400 in 2005-onwards colours
Airbus A340-600
Airbus A340-500, part of the long-haul fleet
Thai 777-200s in the old (right) and new (left) liveries at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
At Don Mueang International Airport

The Thai Airways International fleet consists of the following aircraft as of April 2009:[7]

Thai Airways International Fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers
(First/Royal Silk/Premium Economy/Economy)		 TG internal code only Routes Economy seat configuration
Airbus A300-600R 17 0 247 (0/46/0/201)
261 (0/28/0/233)
260 (0/28/0/232)		 (AB6)
(AB7)		 Asia
Short and medium haul		 2-4-2
Airbus A330-300 14 6 305 (0/42/0/263
299 (0/36/0/263)		 (A333)
(A330)		 Asia and Oceania
Medium haul		 2-4-2
Airbus A340-500 4 0 215 (0/60/42/113) (A345) Bangkok - Los Angeles/Oslo
Ultra-long haul		 2-4-2
Airbus A340-600 6 0 267 (8/60/0/199) (A346) Europe - Asia
Long haul		 2-4-2
Airbus A380-800 0 6 501 (total) TBA Europe - Asia
Long haul		 TBA
ATR 72 2 0 66 (0/0/0/66) (AT7) Asia
Short haul		 2-2
Boeing 737-400 9 0 150 (0/12/0/138) (B734) Asia
Short haul		 3-3
Boeing 747-400 18 0 389 (14/50/0/325)
375 (10/40/0/325)		 (B747)
B744)		 Europe - Asia
Long haul		 3-4-3
Boeing 777-200 8 0 309 (0/30/0/279) (B772) Asia
Medium haul		 3-3-3
Boeing 777-200ER 6 0 292 (0/30/0/262) (B77E) Asia, Oceania and Europe
Long haul		 3-3-3
Boeing 777-300 6 0 388 (0/49/0/339)
364 (0/34/0/330)		 (B773)
(B77R)		 Asia & Oceania
Medium haul		 3-3-3
Total 90 12

The average age of the Thai fleet was 10.5 years at December 2007.

Thai has ordered six Airbus A380-800 aircraft, which would initially planned to be delivered in October 2010 and June 2011 for use on services to Frankfurt, Paris and London where frequencies cannot yet be increased. Thai is now negotiating with Airbus in order to postpone the first deliveries until 2012, and the remaining until 2013[8].

Airbus A300-600R will start to retire in 2008-2010, Thai will acquire eight A330-300 as replacement aircraft for delivery starting in 2009.

The airline has a plan to retire 47 planes, and buy 65 in 10 years, Thai plans to lease 14 Boeing 787-9, and buy 20 A321-200.

Because of the delayed Boeing 787-9 program, Thai might not be able to get the planes before 2012 and, if so, have a plan to lease more A330-300 or Boeing 777s.

[edit] Cabin Services

Thai has four travel classes: Royal First, Royal Silk, Premium Economy and Economy.

[edit] Royal First Class

The new Royal First Class was introduced with the arrival of the Airbus A340-600. It offers 8 single flat-beds seats. Thai's retrofitted 12 Boeing 747-400s are also equipped with this B/E Aerospace seat which mostly serves Europe and some intra-Asian flights. The new seats are equipped with lumbar massage and personal 10.4" touch screen with AVOD and IFE system. Passenger on Royal First class can pick from 22 different meal choices, which they can pre-order before they fly.

Royal First class check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

[edit] Royal Silk (Business) Class

The new Royal Silk Class was introduced with the arrival of Airbus A340-500. The new shell, angled lie-flat business class seats are installed on 12 Boeing 747-400 aircraft, two Boeing 777-300 aircraft, all Boeing 777-200 aircraft, all Boeing 777-200ER aircraft and all Airbus A340 aircraft. The pitch is 60"-62" between seats and the width is 20"-21.5". When fully reclined (electrically adjusted) the seat becomes completely flat, however it is angled. The seat can perform lumbar massage. All seats are equipped with a 10.4" or 15" (newer version) touch screen and AVOD and IFE system.

[edit] Premium Economy Class

The new Premium Economy Class is only available on intercontinental flights between Bangkok and Los Angeles and Oslo on Airbus A340-500 aircraft. The fare for Premium Economy Class is slightly higher than those of Economy. Premium Economy seating is configured as 2-3-2 rather than the standard 2-4-2 in Economy. Seat pitch is increased to 42", 135 degree angle of recline and the seat features a leg-rest. Premium Economy class passengers also have more choices over their meal selection. All seats of Premium Economy class are equipped with AVOD and IFE with a 9" touch screen.

On some long-haul routes such as Bangkok – Copenhagen, Bangkok – Stockholm, aircraft with previous generation Business Class seats are used; therefore the seats are sold under Premium Economy Class fare.

[edit] Economy Class

Thai Airways Economy Class meal


The seat pitch in the Economy cabin offers passengers up to 36" pitch in select aircraft as well as 34" on all the other aircraft. Seat rows are configured in a 3-3-3 configuration in Boeing 777-200, 777-300 and 777-200ER aircraft, 2-4-2 in Airbus A340-500, A340-600, A330-300 and A300-600 aircraft, 3-4-3 in Boeing 747-400 aircraft and 3-3 in Boeing 737-400 aircraft. All Economy seats in Airbus A340-500, Airbus A340-600, Airbus A330-300 (HS-TEN and HS-TEO), Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 777-300 (HS-TKA, HS-TKB, and HS-TKC) have individual Audio-Video On Demand (AVOD) 9" touch screen. AVOD will be added to the Economy cabins of the remaining 777-300 fleet between December 2008 and August 2009. THAI's newer A330-300 aircraft will include AVOD in the Economy cabins when they join the fleet in 2009 and 2010.

[edit] Royal Orchid Plus

Thai Airways International's Royal Orchid Plus is the airline's frequent flyer program. It has a membership of over two million members.

Earning miles

There are two types of mile which can be earned towards a Royal Orchid Plus account.

Firstly, Eligible Qualifying Miles (EQM) this type of mile is earned on:

  • Thai Airways flights
  • TG codeshare flights on routes departing from/to Bangkok (Malaysian Airlines, Emirates Airlines, El Al Israel Airlines and China Eastern Airlines)
  • Star Alliance flights
  • Jet Airways flights

Qualifying Miles (Q Miles) are the miles flown and additional class of service miles on Thai and Star Alliance airlines. Royal Orchid Plus miles are earned based on the paid class of travel.

Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 in 1974-2005 livery, taking off

Secondly, Partner Miles are earned from non-airline partners, such as hotels.

Status Tiers

There are three tiers in the Royal Orchid Plus program

  • Member – entry-level status
  • Silver – requires 10,000 Q Miles in one calendar year or 15,000 Q Miles from the date of enrolment up to December 31 of the next complete calendar year
  • Gold – requires 50,000 Q Miles in one calendar year, 80,000 Q Miles from the date of enrolment up to December 31 of the next complete calendar year, or 40 international flown sectors on THAI within any 1 calendar year.

[edit] Codeshare agreements

Check-in desks in Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok

Thai Airways International codeshares with the following airlines:

[edit] Incidents and accidents

  • 31 July 1992 – Flight 311, an Airbus A310-304 hit the side of a hill 23 miles north of Kathmandu while descending towards Tribhuvan International Airport from Bangkok. All 113 on board (99 passengers and 14 crew) died. The accident was caused by technical faults (with flaps and a possible second unknown fault), pilot error and lack of equipment at TIA at the time (no radar).[9]
  • 11 December 1998 – Flight 261, an A310-200, bound for Surat Thani from Bangkok, during its third landing attempt in heavy rain, crashed into a rice paddy about 2 miles from Surat Thani airport; 102 of 143 aboard were killed.[10]
  • 3 March 2001 – Flight 114, a Boeing 737-400, bound for Chiang Mai from Bangkok, was destroyed by an explosion of the center wing tank resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank while the aircraft was parked, pre-boarding, on the ground. The source of the ignition energy for the explosion could not be determined with certainty, but the most likely source was an explosion originating at the center wing tank pump as a result of running the pump in the presence of metal shavings and a fuel/air mixture.[11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Major Shareholders". Stock Exchange of Thailand. 2007-01-10. http://www.set.or.th/set/companyinfo.do?type=holder&symbol=THAI&language=en&country=US. Retrieved on 2007-08-16. 
  2. ^ "Addresses and contact numbers." Thai Airways International. Retrieved on 21 February 2009.
  3. ^ AIRLINES wins Airline of the Year title in the 2007 World Airline Awards which were unveiled today by Skytrax
  4. ^ Thai Airways International Public Information
  5. ^ Airlines Curb Long Flights to save on Fuel, Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2008, pp. B1-B2
  6. ^ http://www.set.or.th/set/companyhighlight.do?symbol=THAI&language=th&country=TH
  7. ^ Thai Airways International Website October 2008
  8. ^ THAI stuck with A380s
  9. ^ [1], [2]
  10. ^ Asia Economic News 14 December 1998
  11. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-4D7 HS-TDC Bangkok International Airport (BKK)." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 14 June 2009.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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