Thai Airways

Fleet
(As at July 2009)

Number of First Aircraft Orders Extradition
2 Airbus A300-600. September 26, 1985
15 Airbus A300-600R
14 Airbus A330-300 9. December 6, 1994
4 Airbus A340-500 6. April 2005
6 Airbus A340-600 30. June 2005
6 Airbus A380-800 scheduled for 2011-2012
2 ATR 72-200
7 Boeing 737-400. August 5, 1992
18 Boeing 747-400. February 21, 1990
8 Boeing 777-200. March 31,1996
6 Boeing 777-200ER. November 17, 2006
6 Boeing 777-300. December 23, 1998
14 Boeing 787-9 planned for 2012-2015

IATA Code: TG
ICAO Code: THA
Callsign: Thai
Foundation: 1960

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Alliance: Star Alliance
Fleet size: 88 (+26 orders)

Thai Airways International is the national airline of Thailand, based in Bangkok. The airline’s hub is Suvarnabhumi airport, near the Thai capital of Bangkok. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance. The corporate color is purple. Along with operating in more than fourteen destinations within Thailand, it operates in sixty international destinations in over thirty countries.

The cooperation between Thai and SAS, signed in 1959, is one of the oldest airline alliances in general. Since its first flight on May 1, 1960, passenger numbers have increased rapidly. In the late 1950s the Thai domestic carrier Thai Airways Company (TAC) developed a concept to enter the international business with SAS. The new company was known as Thai Airways International Company Limited. The Thai government holds a 70 percent interest in the company, while SAS has a 30 percent interest.

On May 1, 1960, the airline began operations with DC-6 airplanes. In the first year 83,000 passengers were transported. Later, the airline began using Convair 990 and French Caravelle jets. In 1966, Thai Airways International became the first airline in Asia to operate exclusively with jets.

Basic
Passengers: 19.6 million (as of September 30, 2007)

Cooperation
Thai Airways International operates within the Star Alliance, among others. The Star Alliance includes Deutsche Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air Canada and Scandinavian Airlines System.

Staff

Thai Airways International is headed by Apinan Sumanaseni. The Chairman is Chalit Pookpasuk. As of the reporting date of September 30, 2007 it employed 26,897 people.

Accidents / incidents
On June 30, 1967, the Caravelle 3 HS-TGI plunged during a tropical storm while attempting to land at Hong Kong Kai Tak. Of seventy-three passengers, twenty-four were killed and five were injured. The cause of the crash was pilot error.

On December 11, 1998, an Airbus A310-200 HS-TIA crashed during bad weather in Thailand while attempting to land at the airport in Surat Thani. Of the 146 passengers, 101 died and forty-five were seriously injured.

On March 3, 2001, the Boeing 737-400 HS-TDC was destroyed at Gate 62 in Don Muang by an explosion. Fuel vapors ignited, causing the explosion. A stewardess, who was on the plane, was killed.

On April 19, 2005, there was a collision at Bangkok airport in which a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200 and a Thai Airways Airbus A330-300 were seriously damaged. The pilot of the Boeing machine ignored the road markings.

Miscellaneous
The airline attaches great importance to Thai tradition and culture. Asian food and good wines are part of the service, as is the traditional Thai greeting, the " Wai" salute. The motto is "The First Choice Carrier: Smooth As Silk. First Time. Every Time." The company logo is an orchid blossom. The frequent flyer program is called the Thai Royal Orchid Plus. Thai Airways also is sponsoring the Thai tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan.

In 1971, the first intercontinental destinations were added to flight plans. Sydney was the first target; Copenhagen was added in 1972, followed in 1973 with Frankfurt and London. At this time the airline had 3,000 employees, and was already the largest employer in Thailand. Following the cessation of the participation of SAS (in 1975), the Thai government began gradually ramping up its stake. In 1977, the government was the sole owner.

The Airbus-Thai era was ushered in with the Airbus model A300 in 1978. They are an able "work horse" of the intra-Asian routes, but also on the "race track" to Phuket. The first Boeing 747 came to the fleet 1979.

In 1988, the two airlines, TAC and Thai Airways, merged into Thai Airways International PCL. The 1990s were marked in the history of Thai Airways with the founding of the Star Alliance in 1997. With the commissioning of its first Airbus A340-500 on May 1, 2005, the airline also introduced a new look and a new color scheme. Today, Thai Airways ranks among the profitable airlines, and the state owns 54.21 percent.

Destinations
Thai Airways operates primarily from Bangkok to international destinations such as Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Dubai, Los Angeles, Zurich and Johannesburg. In Germany, it flies 747s into Frankfurt twice a day, and Airbus A340-600 into Munich once a day. The ultra-long-haul routes to New York (nonstop) were abandoned on July 1, 2008.