Airline News
THAI: 20% cancellations following Bangkok bomb attack
August 24th 2015
One in five travellers booked on Thai Airways International (THAI) rebooked after last week’s bomb explosion at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine killed 21 people. THAI waived fees for passengers booked before September 18 after numerous governments issued travel alerts for Thailand. Read More »
THAI’s president, Charamporn Jotikasthira, expressed confidence the situation would quickly return to normal. He believed Thailand’s government would restore the situation and the country’s tourism image. Charamporn told The Nation newspaper THAI may not achieve its 180 billion baht revenue target this year as a result of cost-cutting delays and the occurrence of several non-current expenses. THAI last week reported a second-quarter loss of 12.8 billion baht ($378 million), widened from a loss of 7.7 billion baht in the year-ago quarter.
THAI’s Suvarnabhumi hub has increased its security level to stage 3. According to airport deputy director, Phet Chan-charoen, this involved security officers patrolling the airport accompanied by sniffer dogs every three hours around the clock to check luggage and hand-carried items. Outside the airport, police have set up three road blocks: on the approach road known as Suvarnabhumi II leading to the passenger terminals, in front of the THAI ground service office and opposite the airport’s post office.
The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) said all of Thailand’s 28 airports under its supervision have been ordered to beef up security measures.
Bangkok Airways chief, Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, said his airline was working in cooperation with the Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT) to implement increased security measures at Suvarnabhumi, Samui, Sukhothai and Trat airports. Last month, AOT dropped newly imposed increased security checks, including a 100% baggage X-ray scan policy, at Don Mueang following a public outcry over hour-long delays.
In other Thai aviation news, Thai Lion Air last week inaugurated its Don Mueang-Singapore flight. The carrier’s chief, Aswin Yangkirativorn, said China would be the next focus of the airline's renewed fervour for international expansion, most notably Guangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing. Aswin does not expect objections from Chinese authorities for traffic rights as a result of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) red-flagging Thailand for aviation safety deficiencies last month. Thai Lion Air has completed IATA’s Operational Safety Audit and will soon be awarded the certificate. Passing the audit reflected the airline's compliance with more than 900 global standards on operational safety. Thai Lion Air planned to double its fleet of 14 B737-900ERs and two B737-800s in the next 16 months, making it potentially larger than longer established Nok Air.
