Thai plans to start a new short haul carrier so it can focus on its long haul wide-body routes.
Thai Airways International plans to establish a separate full-service, short-haul carrier, so Thai Airways mainline can concentrate solely on widebody operations.
The new carrier will be a separate business unit and have its own brand and its own profit and loss (P&L) center, says Teerapol Chotichanapibal, Thai Airways’ acting executive VP-commercial. Having short-haul premium services under a separate business unit means that it will be able to achieve a lower cost base than Thai Airways mainline, he says. It also means Thai Airways can focus on operating only widebodies, and as a consequence deliver a more consistent level of service, says Teerapol. He says it is hard to provide a consistent user experience if one has a mix of narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
Thai Airways in recent years has transferred some Boeing 737-400s and short-haul routes to its low-cost carrier Nok Air, but it still operates five 737-400s, mostly on domestic routes popular with either international tourists or government officials. Teerapol says the yet-to-be named carrier will focus on serving these same premium travelers. Its routes will include Bangkok-Phuket, Bangkok-Koh Samui and Bangkok-Chiang Mai, he says.
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