Thai Airways International (THAI) plans to broaden its network to more international destinations in the forthcoming peak season with the goal of attracting a larger number of tourists.
The flag carrier also has plans to resume flights to Istanbul in Turkey, a significant aviation hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa. This service had previously been suspended in 1994.
CEO Chai Eamsiri stated that this decision came subsequent to the agreement signed in a memorandum of understanding between THAI and Turkish Airlines earlier in August.
Starting in December, THAI is scheduled to operate a daily flight to Istanbul. Flight TG900, operated by an Airbus A350-900, is planned to depart from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 11:45 pm and arrive in Istanbul at 6:05 am local time.
“Next, THAI will launch new flights to Oslo in Norway, Milan in Italy, and Sydney and Perth in Australia,” Mr. Chai announced.
He revealed that due to the visa-free scheme for Chinese citizens, the flag carrier expects a 75% increase in cabin load factor on flights originating from China in the last quarter, resulting in a monthly revenue boost of 240 million baht throughout the visa-free span.
The visa-free initiative, effective until February 29 next year, has led to a boom in bookings on Chinese travel platforms like Ctrip and Tuniu.
To manage this surge, THAI intends to run daily services to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu, as mentioned by Mr. Chai.
Moreover, the airline is also contemplating daily services to Sapporo, Fukuoka, escalating Tokyo services to 28 a week, a rise from 21, and initiating charter services to Sendai. Starting December 1, Taipei will also be serviced by flights two times a day.
From October 29, THAI has plans to escalate the number of flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and a new route to Kathmandu, Nepal is slated to commence on December 1.
