THAI cuts routes
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Thai Airways International is retrenching staff and possibly cutting back on routes amid escalating oil prices. Announcing these as part of its 10-year business plan, THAI president Apinan Sumanseni was quoted saying by The Nation that the long haul Bangkok-New York route would end on July 1. Frequencies are also being reduced on Los Angeles (from seven a week to five), London, New Zealand and Johannesburg. “The company has already lost Bt4 billion per year for the two long-distance routes to New York and London,” he was quoted saying. The four A340-500s used to service the Bangkok-New York route would be needed and sold off, the report quoted him as saying. According to him, the long-haul routes were struggling the most because they consumed much more fuel. The Bangkok-New York flight was launched in May 2005 and was averaging load factors of 80% on the daily flights, but the return was still poor due to fewer premium seats. The Nation said THAI was also revising its route from Bangkok to Oakland, New Zealand, by adding stopovers in Sydney or Melbourne. The plan is scheduled to start in October, the report said. However, Indian routes were doing well, so flights to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata would go up, the report said.
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