News
Khun Usanee won’t be confirmed as THAI CEO, Nok Air troubles mount
May 26th 2017
Thai Airways International’s (THAI’s) acting president and executive vice president of its business aviation unit, Khun Usanee Sangsingkeo, will not be confirmed as permanent president at the flag carrier; that much is certain. Read More »
Khun Usanee is not doing a bad job at the airline. Rather, aged 59, she will be hitting Thailand’s official retirement age next year, barring her from continuing to steer THAI through its challenging operational landscape and internal issues.
There has long been talk of lifting the cap on the official retirement age of civil servants in Thailand, from 60 to 65, or even 70, but until now the Department of Labour has not signed off on changes to the current status quo.
Khun Usanee became acting president of THAI in February. Before being appointed as chief of the airline’s business aviation unit, Sangsingkeo was managing director of THAI ground services and a director of the in-flight equipment planning and controlling department. She also is a director of Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel Co. Ltd., Wingspan Services Co. Ltd. and Phuket Air Catering Co. Ltd.
The search for a new permanent president at THAI to complete the state controlled carrier’s transformation is underway. Orient Aviation understands that four candidates, internal and external, have passed a first round of consideration. An official announcement will be made later this year.
THAI continues experiencing financial duress, but restructuring measures have fully kicked in and the 57-year-old carrier is forecasting a much-needed return to the black in 2018.
The carrier’s board made a landmark decision on May 21 when it decided not to acquire additional shares in Nok Air, a low-cost subsidiary led by CEO, Patee Sarasin, in which THAI holds a 39.2% stake. The THAI board deemed that in its current cash-starved situation “it was not the right time” to increase its investment in Nok Air, even if this meant its shareholding in the budget airline could be diluted.
Nok has reported several consecutive quarters of losses. For the full 2016 year, the LCC lost $95.7 million.
In April, THAI said it was to run THAI, Thai Smile and Nok Air with a joint management and a single board of directors. Under the cooperation framework, THAI would be the major international carrier; THAI Smile the domestic and Indo-China network carrier and Nok Air the budget partner.
THAI’s executive vice-president for corporate strategy and sustainable development, Flt. Lt. Montree Jumrieng, said co-operation between the carriers would include routes, marketing, ground services, allocation of parking bays and maintenance services. “In the future, the three airlines will form an aviation network,” said Flt. Lt. Montree, who added the carriers would feed transit traffic onto each other’s airlines.
