Thai Airways

Thai Airways has officially announced that it will be undertaking major capacity and frequency changes during the upcoming IATA Winter 09-10 season. The main highlights are as follows:

LAX - frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily nonstop flights using an A 345.

DME - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 weekly nonstop flights using a B 772ER.

OSL - frequencies increased from 5 weekly A 345s to daily nonstop flights using a B 772ER.

ATH - capacity reduced from 3 weekly B 772ERs to 3 weekly A 345s.

JED - planned launch now suspended until further notice.

DEL - capacity increased to double daily flights i.e. daily B 773A + daily A 333.

JNB - new 3 weekly flights to be flown nonstop using a B 772ER from April 2010.

AUH - planned launch now suspended until further notice.

BOM - capacity increased from 13 weekly A 333s to 13 weekly Boeing 747-400s effective Oct 26th 2009.

CCU - capacity increased from daily AB6 to daily A 333.

MAA - capacity reduced to daily AB6.

HYD - capacity increased to 4 weekly A 333s from 4 weekly AB6s.

TG have also confirmed that its management are struggling to sell off its entire fleet of 4 A 345s for a competitive price as the best offer on the table to them was US$ 50 million from an American based aircraft dismantling firm. Instead of now wanting to sell at a lower cost, TG will be looking at ways to use this aircraft in better ways on currently flown long haul routes by removing many business and premium economy class seats which would enable 50 extra economy class seats to be added to the flight to help increase load factors.

Comments:

Once again TG management have "lost it" by sending a high yielding configured A 345 which has 60J + 42 Y+ seats in it to fly a low yielding flight BKK-ATH which has minimal premium/business demand! This route too does not make money for the airline so rather than continue to bleed on it, suspending it totally would probably be a better decision. As far as the A 345's reconfiguration is concerned, it is best to have a 2 class J and Y class cabin only which would result in the airplane seating 280 passengers comfortably which is a more attractive proposition too when TG needs to sell this aircraft in the future.