THAI acts to stem New York losses
BANGKOK – Thai Airways International will abandon its Bangkok-New York route in July as the global fuel crisis forces a review of its 10-year business plan.
Other routes are likely to be dumped, or cut back, and new aircraft orders are also being reviewed.
“The airline’s revision will also include its revenue projection,” THAI president Apinan Sumanseni told The Nation newspaper.
“THAI’s revenue this year will fall short of the target of Bt210 billion,” he said.
The new plan will be finalised by next month, but the airline has already decided to close its long haul Bangkok-New York route in July and cut frequencies to Los Angeles, London, New Zealand and Johannesburg due to higher jet fuel expenses, he said.
On July 1, the New York station will be closed down and flights to Los Angeles will be reduced from seven a week to five.
“The company has already lost Bt4 billion per year for the two long-distance routes to New York and London,” he said.
The four A340-500s used to service the Bangkok-New York route will no longer be needed and sold off.
The Bangkok-New York flight was launched in May 2005. The airline is running an average load factor of 80 per cent on the daily flights, but the return is still poor due to fewer premium seats.
The airline will also revise its route from Bangkok to Auckland by adding stopovers in Sydney or Melbourne.
Ian Jarrett
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