THAI resumes Jo’burg flights, cancels three others
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05 Feb 10 (TravMedia.com): Thai Airways International (THAI) has decided to drop three under-performing regional routes but will reinstate services to Johannesburg starting from May.
The routes that will be axed for the summer season starting in late March, are Bangkok-Kuwait, Hong Kong-Taipei and Bangkok-Manila-Osaka.
Pruet Boobphakam, THAI’s executive vice-president for commercial affairs, said the routes were being dropped to shift limited capacity to higher-demand routes.
THAI operates three flights a week between Bangkok and Kuwait City using Airbus 330-300s, flies daily between Hong Kong and Taipei using Boeing 747-400s, and offers a daily service from Bangkok-Manila-Osaka with Boeing 777-200s.
THAI started its service to Kuwait City, via Dubai, in November 1977 before it was suspended in March 1985. The route was re-launched in March 2002 three times a week using an A330-300.
Mr Pruet also confirmed the airline would resume non-stop services from Bangkok to Johannesburg with four flights a week using Boeing 777-200ERs, each capable of seating 292 passengers, on May 16.
THAI dropped the Johannesburg route in January 2009 due to poor loads. The route was introduced in October 2006 with three flights a week, but it failed financially.
Mr Pruet said the World Cup 2010 being held in South Africa in June provides a good business opportunity to reinstate the Johannesburg flights and the growing economy in that region offers another incentive.
THAI is looking at possibly extending the flight to Cape Town before returning to Bangkok.
The airline has also been in discussion with South African Airways (SAA) about establishing a code-share agreement whereby THAI can carry its passengers through Johannesburg to South America using SAA aircraft.
SAA, a fellow member of Star Alliance, has already been operating flights from its Johannesburg hub to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. “Co-operation with SAA will allow us to reach the southern polar routes,” he said.
THAI’s summer programme will be largely unchanged from existing frequencies and routes, though capacity may increase 3-4%.
THAI shares closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 18.80 baht, down 20 satang, in trade worth 120.56 million baht.
Contact travel agents for more information about THAI’s connecting flights from Australia to Johannesburg via Bangkok and for the latest fares.
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