Thai Airways International

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Thai Airways International
บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด
Thai Airlines Logo 2008.svg
Thai Airways A380
IATA code : TG
ICAO code : THA
Call sign : THAI
Founding: 1960
Seat: Bangkok , ThailandThailandThailand 
Turnstile :
Home airport : Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Company form: Plc.
ISIN : TH0245010010
IATA prefix code : 217
Management: Areepong Bhoocha-oom ( Chairman )
Number of employees: 22,864 (2015)
Sales: ฿ 192.6 billion (2015)
Passenger volume: 21.2 million (2015)
Alliance : Star Alliance
Frequent Flyer Program : Royal Orchid Plus
Fleet size: 75
Aims: National and international
Website: www.thaiairways.com

Thai Airways International ( Thai บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด , THAI for short ) is the state-owned airline of Thailand , based in Bangkok and based at Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport . It is a founding member of the Star Alliance aviation alliance .

history

Thai Airways headquarters in Bangkok

Founding member of Thai Airways Company

The airline Thai Airways Company (TAC) was created as early as 1951 through the merger of Siamese Airways and Pacific Overseas Airlines . In addition to domestic routes, this also served a few connections to nearby foreign airports such as Hong Kong and Tokyo. The company for domestic flights existed until March 31, 1988 and merged on April 1, 1988 with Thai Airways International.

Founding of Thai Airways 1959–1976

At the end of the 1950s, Thai Airways Company developed a concept with Scandinavian SAS Scandinavian Airlines to enter international business. The cooperation between Thai and SAS in the form of a joint venture signed on August 24, 1959 , is one of the oldest aviation alliances. The official establishment of Thai Airways was completed with the entry of the corporate form in the register on March 29, 1960, with a contribution capital of 2 million Baht , of which Thai Airways held 70% and SAS 30%. Passenger numbers have risen sharply since the first flight on May 1, 1960. The new company was called Thai Airways International Company Limited , and the company logo is still an orchid flower today .

On May 1, 1960, the airline began flight operations with three Douglas DC-6 aircraft, including pilots, provided by SAS . In the first year 83,000 passengers could be carried and even then the on-board service to the destinations to Hong Kong , Jakarta , Calcutta , Kuala Lumpur , Rangoon , Saigon , Singapore , Taipei and Tokyo was named "Royal Orchid". 1962 followed with two Convair CV-990A Coronado leased from SAS, the first jets, which were later replaced by the French Caravelle and the Douglas DC-8 . After that, DC-9 and DC-10 were also procured. In 1966, Thai was the first airline in Asia to operate exclusively with jets.

From 1971 intercontinental destinations were on the flight plan for the first time. Sydney was the first destination, Copenhagen followed in 1972 and Frankfurt am Main and London from 1973 . At that time, Thai was already the largest employer in Thailand with 3,000 employees. After surrendering the SAS stake (from 1975) the Thai government gradually increased its stake.

Thai Airways 1977-1988

With the acquisition of the remaining 15 percent stake in SAS Scandinavian Airlines by the Thai state, the latter became the sole owner of the airline in 1977. In the meantime, long-haul McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 aircraft have already been leased from SAS and the French Union de Transports Aériens . On April 15, 1977 Thai ordered two Airbus A300B4-2C and four Airbus A300B4-203, which were delivered by March 1985. For a long time they were regarded as capable “workhorses” on the inner-Asian routes, but were phased out by July 31, 2014. The first Boeing 747 joined the fleet in 1979.

Thai Airways International since 1988

McDonnell Douglas MD-11 of Thai Airways in 2005
An Airbus A340-500HGW operated by Thai Airways in 2008

On April 1, 1988, Thai Airways Company and Thai Airways merged to form Thai Airways International PCL . In 1991, blocks of shares were issued for the first time. By October 1993, six A300B4-601s, two A300B4-605s and eight A300B4-600Rs were added. In 1996 the airline carried 14.6 million passengers and had 21,500 employees. In 1998, the Thai state still held 93 percent of the shares.

With the establishment of the Star Alliance in 1997, the 1990s were also shaped in the history of Thai Airways. In 1998 there were flights to around 51 cities in 36 countries and 20 domestic cities.

In 2004 the company founded the subsidiary Nok Air in order to be able to keep up with other companies in the market with a low-cost airline .

With the commissioning of their first Airbus A340-500 on May 1, 2005, a new look and color were also introduced.

On July 1, 2008, the ultra long haul, which ran non-stop in 17 hours and 30 minutes from Bangkok to John F. Kennedy International Airport , was discontinued. Until then it was served by Airbus A340-500HGW, which were retired. To the displeasure of the Airports of Thailand , the six wide-body jets stand with six other Airbus A330-300s and two Boeing 747-400s on the southern area of ​​the Don Muang Airport . The planes are to be sold.

In the same year, Thai Airways made losses for the first time in its history. She based this mainly on the increased fuel costs, the global recession and the occupation of the two airports in Bangkok during the political unrest.

In August 2010 the creation of a new low cost airline called Thai Tiger was announced. The joint venture between Thai Airways International and Tiger Airways should start flight operations in early 2011. On September 17, 2011 it was announced that Thai Airways had given up the joint venture with Tiger Airways. Instead, a new low-cost airline called Thai Smile was launched.

In June 2011, plans became known that Thai Airways would lease a total of 37 new aircraft over the next few years . For example, eight Airbus A350-900s and six Boeing 787-8s were ordered from various leasing companies.

The Airbus A380-800s , which were delivered from the end of 2012, were initially used for six weeks on the regional routes to Hong Kong and Singapore, before the morning Frankfurt flight was switched to the A380-800 as the first long-haul flight on December 15, 2012, followed by Tokyo Narita and Paris.

From January 2013 to Fall 2014 Thai Airways made over 600 million US dollars in losses. The high-deficit airline now wants to part with 5,000 employees and 22 aircraft. Several unprofitable routes are also to be canceled.

Lower fuel prices and a stronger Thai baht allowed THAI to report a profit of 4.54 billion baht (US $ 134 million) in the first quarter of 2015. The results of the second half for 2015 showed some improvement, but the airline is still in the red.

In the years that followed, THAI made ever greater losses - 2.11 billion baht in 2017, 11.6 billion baht in 2018 and 12 billion baht in 2019.

In May 2020, the debt was 240 billion baht. After the proposed state guarantee was denied, THAI filed for bankruptcy. Due to the opened insolvency proceedings, THAI is temporarily no longer able to reimburse canceled or canceled flights, but rebooking is possible. Flight operations for the routes from Germany were suspended until September 30, 2020 due to the tightened entry regulations for Thailand.

Destinations

Thai Airways International flies from its four hubs to cities within Thailand as well as destinations throughout Asia , Europe and the Middle East .

In German-speaking countries are Frankfurt , Munich , Vienna and Zurich served.

In addition, Thai Airways has various codeshare agreements within the Star Alliance , including with Lufthansa , United Airlines , Air Canada and SAS Scandinavian Airlines .

fleet

Airbus A330-300 of Thai Airways
Boeing 747-400 of Thai Airways in Star Alliance special livery
Boeing 777-300 of Thai Airways
Boeing 787-8 of Thai Airways

Current fleet

As of March 2020, the Thai Airways fleet consists of 75 aircraft with an average age of 9.5 years:

Aircraft type number ordered Remarks Seats
( First / Business / Eco )
Airbus A330-300 15th HS-TBD in Star Alliance special livery 299 (- / 36/263)
305 (- / 42/263)
Airbus A350-900 12 first delivery on August 29, 2016; 8 leased from CIT 321 (- / 32/289)
Airbus A380-800 6th first delivery on September 26, 2012 507 (12/60/435)
Boeing 747-400 8th HS-TGW in Star Alliance special livery; 1 inactive 374 (9/40/325)
375 (10/40/325)
Boeing 777-200ER 6th 292 (- / 30/262)
Boeing 777-300 6th 364 (- / 34/330)
Boeing 777-300ER 14th 348 (- / 42/306)
Boeing 787-8 6th 2 inactive; all leased from AerCap and DP Aircraft 264 (- / 24/240)
Boeing 787-9 2 289 (- / 30/268)
total 75 -

Other aircraft are operated independently by the subsidiaries Nok Air and Thai Smile .

Former aircraft types

Hawker-Siddeley HS 748 of Thai Airways in 1976

In the past, Thai Airways Company, Thai Airways and Thai Airways International used the following types of aircraft, among others:

Incidents

Thai Airways International and Thai Airways Company recorded sixteen total aircraft losses in their history. 382 people were killed in nine of them. Examples:

  • On December 25, 1967, a Douglas DC-3 ( HS-TDH ) crashed on Thai Airways flight 002 while approaching Chiang Mai Airport . Despite the fog and with a visibility of 100 meters, the captain decided to make a visual approach along the middle of three streets that led to the runway. However, he confused this with the right of the three and only noticed this late. When attempting to intercept the machine, it sheared and hit the ground, killing 4 out of 31 people on board.
  • On May 10, 1973 a Douglas DC-8-30 ( HS-TGU ) of Thai Airways International had an accident while landing at Kathmandu Airport . After touching down late, it overshot the end of the runway, killing a person on the ground.
  • On April 15, 1985, a Boeing 737-200 of the Thai Airways Company ( HS-TBB ) collided with a mountainside while approaching Phuket Airport after both engines failed. All eleven people on board were killed.
  • On August 31, 1987 another Boeing 737-200 ( HS-TBC ) of the Thai Airways Company crashed while approaching Phuket Airport . She was approaching with a Dragonair flight when there were disagreements regarding the order of the landings. When the flight crew was finally warned that the Dragonair machine could cross its course, they slowed their machine so much that it stalled and the machine fell into the sea. All 83 people on board were killed (see also Thai Airways flight 365 ) .
  • On July 31, 1992, the pilots of an Airbus A310-300 from Thai Airways International (HS-TID) had to abort the approach to Kathmandu airport after a malfunction of the landing flaps , which are absolutely necessary for this airport, occurred. When the disruption could be rectified, a few flight maneuvers were necessary for a new approach in the mountainous terrain. Due to inadequate communication with air traffic control and subsequent navigation errors, the machine collided with a mountain, killing all 113 occupants, 99 passengers and 14 crew members. This was the first total loss of an Airbus A310 (see also Thai Airways flight 311 ) .
  • On December 11, 1998, an Airbus A310-200 operated by Thai Airways International (HS-TIA) crashed during bad weather on its third attempt to land in Surat Thani . Presumably the pilots lost their bearings in the nocturnal environment due to a sharp movement of the aircraft caused by the wind. 45 of 146 people on board were rescued (see also Thai Airways flight 261 ) .
  • On March 3, 2001, a Boeing 737-400 (HS-TDC) exploded while it was being prepared for the next flight at a gate at Don Mueang Airport. The most probable cause are ignited kerosene vapors, which were caused by the intense heating of the center tank by the air conditioning units directly next to it . The machine had previously stood in the sun for around 40 minutes at 35 degrees Celsius with the air conditioning running. On board were eight crew members, one of which were stewardess came by the explosion killed (also see Thai Airways flight 114 ) .
  • On September 8, 2013, an Airbus A330-300 operated by Thai Airways International (HS-TEF) on Thai Airways Flight 679 landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport after 1000 meters from the runway. The cause was a broken rod ("bogie beam") in the right main landing gear of the 19 year old A330. Up to 14 people were injured.

Corporate investments

Thai Airways has interests in the following companies, among others:

  • Thai Smile Airways Co., Ltd. (100%)
  • Thai Amadeus Southeast Asia Co., Ltd. (55%)
  • WingSpan Services Co., Ltd. (49%)
  • Donmuang International Airport Hotel Co., Ltd. (40%)
  • Nok Air Plc. (39.2%)
  • Phuket Air Catering Co., Ltd. (30%)
  • Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel Co., Ltd. (30%)
  • Royal Orchid Hotel (Thailand) Plc. (24%)
  • Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services Plc. (22.6%)

See also

Web links

Commons : Thai Airways International  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d thai.listedcompany.com - Annual Report (English), accessed on September 24, 2016
  2. FliegerRevue August 2011, pp. 12–15, Service under the sign of the orchid
  3. thaiairways.com - ประวัติ บริษัท ฯ (Thai) ( Memento from January 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  4. thaiairways.com - History (English) ( Memento from May 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  5. Focus - Airline Database Thai Airways ( Memento from January 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  6. Thai Airways ends 37 years of A300 operations. aviationweek.com, July 31, 2014, accessed December 6, 2014 .
  7. aviationpros.com - THAI's Old Jets Hog Space At Don Mueang ( Memento from April 29, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  8. thailandtip.de - Billions in losses at Thai  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.thailandtip.de  
  9. aero.de - Thai Airways and Tiger found joint low-cost offshoot, August 2, 2010
  10. Bangkok Post - THAI scraps plan for JV with Tiger, September 17, 2011 (English)
  11. aero.de - Thai Airways decides on fleet program worth billions, June 14, 2011
  12. a b Airbus - Thai Airways International becomes new operator of the A350 XWB, August 30, 2016 (English), accessed on September 24, 2016
  13. aero.de - Thai Airways downsizes fleet and workforce, January 28, 2015
  14. Sense of urgency for drastic THAI reform still lacking among airline's staff, says president . In: The Nation , September 19, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015. 
  15. SEPC to throw THAI lifeline. Bangkok Post, April 30, 2020, accessed August 29, 2020 .
  16. a b Thai airways and potential rehabilitation proceedings: what creditors need to know. lexology.com, May 22, 2020, accessed August 9, 2020 .
  17. ^ Cabinet approves plan for THAI bankruptcy court restructuring. Bangkok Post, May 28, 2020, accessed August 9, 2020 .
  18. THAI bankruptcy - 6,000 employees have to go. meilenoptimieren.com, May 23, 2020, accessed on August 9, 2020 .
  19. Thai Airways is not allowed to refund canceled flights for 6 months. meilenoptimieren.com, June 1, 2020, accessed on August 9, 2020 .
  20. ^ Clarification regarding the notification of the Central Bankruptcy Court, Thailand. thaiairways.com, June 14, 2020, accessed August 9, 2020 .
  21. Special procedure in connection with CoVid-19. thaiairways.com, August 4, 2020, accessed August 9, 2020 .
  22. thaiairways.com - Route network accessed April 11, 2019
  23. ^ Thai Airways International Fleet Details and History. In: www.planespotters.net. Accessed March 27, 2020 (English).
  24. Airbus - Orders & deliveries , accessed on September 24, 2016
  25. thaiairways.com - Fleet of aircraft accessed on September 24, 2016
  26. airliners.de - Thai takes over first A380
  27. Accident statistics Thai Airways International , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  28. Accident statistics Thai Airways , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  29. ^ Accident report Caravelle 3 HS-TGI , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  30. ^ Accident report DC-3 HS-TDH , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  31. ^ Accident report DC-8-30 HS-TGU , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  32. ^ Accident report HS-748 HS-THB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  33. ^ Accident report B-737-200 HS-TBB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  34. ^ Accident report B-737-200 HS-TBC , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 3, 2018.
  35. ^ Accident report A310 HS-TID , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 14, 2018.
  36. Accident report A310 HS-TIA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 6, 2019.
  37. Aircraft accident data and report HS-TDC in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  38. Aircraft accident data and report HS-TEF in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  39. ^ Aerotelegraph.com - Airbus from Thai with crash landing accessed on September 8, 2013
  40. aerotelegraph.com - Thai Airways checked sensitive area accessed on September 13, 2013