Thai Airways International

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Thai Airways International (Thai: ) is the national air carrier of Thailand. Thai operates out of Bangkok International Airport and is a founding member of the Star Alliance network.

History

Thai started as Thai Airways International, a joint venture with Scandinavian Airlines System (which initially held a 30% share), along with a domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (Thai: เดินอากาศไทย). The carrier's first flight was on May 1, 1960. On April 1 1977, the Thai government bought out the remaining 15% of SAS-owned shares. On April 1 1988, the two carriers merged to form the present Thai Airways International. [link] In August 2005, Thai Airways International president Kanok Abhiradee was suspended from his managerial duties just before the airline reported a massive loss for its fiscal third quarter to June 30. Following the suspension, the airline appointed board member Somchainuk Engtrakul to oversee Kanok's major responsibilities. The airline expects to name a new president in April 2006. [link] As most tourists to the country come from Europe, Thai has a limited presence in North America, where its flights are marketed by Lufthansa.

The arrival of the A340-500 initiated a change to the airline's image, including a new livery and a revised font for the title "THAI". On May 1 2005, the airline began a non-stop Bangkok-New York service (TG790/791) with a new A340-500. The New York bound flight time is 16 hours 55 minutes and Bangkok bound flight time is 17 hours 10 minutes. It uses a flightpath over the North Pole, with New York bound departs at midnight (Bangkok time 0040 at summer), which is very different from the flight time of similar routes of Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways, in which their flights are departed at early morning. Non-stop Bangkok-Los Angeles service (TG794/795) started on December 2 2005, also using a new A340-500. The flight time is 16.5 hours eastbound. This replaces decades old TG774/775 (LAX-KIX-BKK & BKK-KIX-LAX) service using Boeing 747-400 aircraft and the stop at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. In February 2006, the airline announced it was studying the startup of a new airline, to be called Thai Orchid (Thai: เอื้องหลวง), which would market itself as a luxury alternative to the low-cost carriers, such as subsidiary Nok Air (Thai: นกแอร์). [link] In June 2006 Thai International Airlines was awarded 'Worlds Best Cabin Staff' by Skytrax.Thai Airways International will be operating three weekly direct flights on the route Bangkok – Johannesburg v.v., utilizing Boeing B777-200ER aircraft, effective as of 31st October 2006 onwards.

Destinations

Incidents and accidents

• April 27 1980 - a Thai Airways BAe 748 enroute from Khon Kaen to Bangkok lost altitude during a thunderstorm and crashed about 8 miles from Bangkok International Airport. All four crew members and 40 of the 49 passengers were killed. [link]
• April 15 1985 - a Thai Airways Boeing 737-200 hit high ground on Phuket and was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. All four passengers and seven crew members were killed. The accident occurred after a failure of both engines was reported. [link]
• August 31 1987 - a Thai Airways Boeing 737-200 flying from Hat Yai to Phuket crashed into the sea off Phuket. All nine crew members and 74 passengers were killed [link]
• July 31 1992 - a Thai Airways International Airbus A310-304 hit the side of a hill 23 miles north of Kathmandu while descending towards Tribhuvan International Airport from Bangkok. All 113 on board (99 passengers and 14 crew) died. The accident was caused by technical faults (with flaps and a posible second unknown fault), pilot error (in comprehending direction) and lack of equipment at TIA at the time (no radar). [link], [link]

• December 11 1998 - a Thai Airways International A310-200, bound for Surat Thani from Bangkok, was making its third landing attempt during a heavy rain and crashed into a rice paddy about 2 miles from Surat Thani airport; 102 of 143 aboard were killed. [link]
• March 3 2001 - a Thai Airways International Boeing 737-400, bound for Chiang Mai from Bangkok, was destroyed by an explosion and fire that occurred about 35 minutes before the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and about 150 other passengers were to board. Five members of the cabin crew were aboard, and one was killed. Witnesses said they heard an explosion before flames erupted aboard the aircraft. NTSB investigators reported that the center fuel tank exploded followed by the right tank 18 minutes later. The cause for the explosion was unclear. No traces of explosive were found. The center fuel tank is located near air conditioning packs which generate heat, and were running nonstop prior to the explosion.[link]
• April 19 2005 - a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200 stopped approximately 194 meters beyond a painted stop line at Bangkok International Airport, and its left wing-tip was clipped by a Thai Airways International Airbus A330-300 taxiing for take-off. Both aircraft were severely damaged. There were no injuries.
• October 26 2005 - a Thai Airways International A300 skidded off the runway in heavy rain on landing at Bangkok International Airport. There were no injuries.

• Jun 3 2006 - An Airbus 330 en route Colombo-Bangkok (flight TG308) was forced to return to the Bandaranaike International for an emergency landing following a report of smoke in the cargo area. Pilots used fire extinguishers and made a safe landing.

Fleet

Aircraft Type	Number of Aircraft	Number of Seats	First Class	Royal Silk Class	Premium Economy Class	Economy Class
Boeing 747-400	8	389	14	50	-	325
	10	375	10	40	-	325
Boeing 747-300	2	405	18	62	-	325
Boeing 777-300	6	388	-	49	-	339
Boeing 777-200	2	358	-	55	-	303
	6	309	-	30	-	279
Boeing 737-400 (including 4 aircraft leased out to Nok Air)	10	149	-	12	-	137
Airbus A340-500	3	215	-	60	42	113
Airbus A340-600	5	267	8	60	-	199
Airbus A330-300	12	305	-	42	-	263
Airbus A300-600	10	247	-	46	-	201
	6	261	-	28	-	233
	5	260	-	28	-	232
ATR-72(including 1 aircraft leased out to Nok Air)	2	66	-	-	-	66
Total Number of Aircraft	87	Updated: 15 April 2006

The average age of Thai Airways International fleet was 10.4 years at April 2006.

Thai Airways International has ordered 6 of the very large Airbus A380 aircraft, which will be delivered in 2009/2010 for use on services to Australia and Europe. There has been some speculation about this order. [link]

Thai Airways International confirmed an order (made in 2004) for 6 Boeing 777-200ER aircraft to be delivered from 2006 to October 2007. THAI recently ordered more 747-400 and A330-300 to replace the soon to be retired MD-11 and A300-600

It has been announced that 21 A300-600 aircraft will leave the fleet sometime from 2006-2007. This will most likely coincide with the delivery of the new 777-200ER, 747-400 and A330-300 aircraft.

The four remaining MD-11 aircraft were withdrawn from service in 2006. They are due to be converted into freighters.

See also

• Nok Air (a low-cost carriers of Thai Airways International)
• Thai Airways (merged into Thai Airways International, 1988)

External links

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