aviation
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Chinese vaccine, Thailand ‘drug hub’, Covid update | January 13
Confusion reigns over the effectiveness of a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine due to be rolled out in Thailand next month. Thailand has ordered 2 million doses of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine. The rollout of this particular vaccine among high-risk groups in Indonesia will start this week. However, questions now hang over the vaccine’s efficacy rate, originally reported as 78% in trials…
- Phuket News
Can Phuket survive? Interview with Bill Barnett | VIDEO
Interview with Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks. Phuket has now been hit with a 3rd major crisis, each one more profound than the long-term effects from the 2004 tsunami. Now the island has new restrictions imposed on arrivals on the southern island, imposed by the Phuket Provincial Authority.
- Business News
Thai Air Asia says new Covid outbreak has destroyed business
The executive chairman of Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai Air Asia, says the Covid-19 resurgence has “destroyed the low-cost carrier”. Tassapon Bijleveld says that, even without a national lockdown, bookings have plummeted. “Travel sentiment has plunged lower than last year. This is different this time because people are voluntarily skipping their travel plans even without a nationwide lockdown…
- Thailand News
2020’s movers, shakers and influences (that weren’t Covid) | VIDEO
2020 The big events, the winners and the losers 2020 has been one of the most disruptive years in history, certainly for anyone that has lived since the great depression and the world wars. But although Covid-19 has been the big headline for the year, there has still been highlights and big news in all fields. Some of these big…
- World News
Air Asia to focus on ASEAN expansion, as CEO expresses cautious optimism for 2021
Air Asia’s chief executive, Tony Fernandes, says the low-cost carrier is planning to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and is in talks to form 3 new airlines. He points out that people still want to travel, and that demand makes him hopeful air travel could be back to its pre-Covid numbers within 6 – 12 months. “At the right…
- Business News
Suvarnabhumi expansion being reviewed in line with “new normal” expectations
The 44 billion baht northern expansion of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport is being revised, to meet “new normal” requirements, according to Airports of Thailand. AOT president, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, says the process will take 1 or 2 months to complete. Nation Thailand reports that the airport’s new northern terminal will have the capacity to handle 30 million passengers a year, with Nitinai…
- Tourism News
An international Digital Travel Pass could be the magic bullet to restart global tourism
A new international Travel Pass, a sort of digital health certificate, may be the way forward for countries to re-open their borders and international airlines to get their planes back into the air. The International Air Transport Association says the ‘digital’ certificate will support the safe reopening of borders. As Covid-19 testing and the results becomes more reliable and nuanced,…
- World News
Singapore – Hong Kong travel bubble delayed due to Covid rise in HK
Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed to delay their travel bubble plans as Hong Kong experiences a jump in Covid-19 cases. Although case numbers in both cities are nowhere near as serious as what’s currently being seen in places like Europe and the US, officials are erring on the side of caution and postponing the plan by at least 2…
- Business News
Thai Airways to launch one-off flight over sacred Buddhist sites
Thai Airways has announced a special flight on November 30 that will give passengers the opportunity to chant Buddhist mantras while flying over 99 sacred sites in the Kingdom. Wiwat Piyawiroj, executive vice-president at the struggling national carrier, says passengers will fly over Bangkok and 31 provinces, taking in 99 holy sites, over which they will be able to chant…
- South Thailand News
Government to consider rescue packages for tourism businesses in South
The government will hold a mobile Cabinet meeting in Phuket today to consider potential rescue packages for tourism-related businesses that have been ravaged by the closure of international borders. The proposals, which include soft loans for airlines and other businesses, come after PM Prayut Chan-o-cha met with Phuket business representatives and local officials yesterday. The Bangkok Post reports that the…
- World News
Up to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down
Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is set to close its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, with the loss of up to 5,900 jobs. The carrier, that used to be called Dragon Air before being absorbed by Cathay, has become yet another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated the aviation business. The Bangkok Post reports that 5,300 jobs are expected to…
- Business News
Thai Airways seeks to conserve finances by offering unpaid leave, early retirement
Thailand’s long-suffering national carrier is trying to conserve what cash it has by offering staff early retirement or unpaid leave. Thai Airways says it’s seeking to reduce its workforce in an attempt to stretch its finances to April 2021. According to a Bangkok Post report, acting president Chansin Treenuchagron says 80% of the airline’s employees have agreed to salary cuts…
- Business News
Thai Airways to provide flights to some international destinations this month
Thai Airways, the beleaguered national carrier currently undergoing a “rehabilitation” process (code for bankruptcy and restructure proceedings), says it’s laying on a number of special flights to destinations outside the Kingdom this month. Nation Thailand reports that the airline is introducing flights to Hong Kong, Taipei, London, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Executive Vice President Wiwat Piyawiroj says the flights are being…
- Things To Do
Top 10 things that changed in Thailand during the Covid outbreak
Things have changed. In some cases they’ve changed a lot and may never be the same again. Many people are suffering as a result of the impacts of lockdowns and the border closures. Entire industries, like aviation and entertainment, have been profoundly affected. Some people are being forced to re-invent their lives as a result. Fears over Covid-19 are causing…
- Business News
Thai Vietjet introduce new “Deluxe” product for domestic routes in Thailand
Thai Vietjet, which currently operates 13 domestic routes within Thailand, is launching a new “Deluxe” product, starting from 999 baht. The “Deluxe” tickets will include 7 kilos of carry-on and 20 kilos of checked luggage (currently an additional charge), as well as seat selection and priority check-in. Date, route and flight changes are also permitted 1 time, free of charge.…
- Business News
Air Asia seeks to mitigate economic losses with launch of “super app”
Air Asia is introducing a super app, in an attempt to off-set – at least partially – the significant financial losses brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The mobile application shuffles Air Asia’s model as a flight and accommodation provider, to a broader platform of complimentary services. The app will offer users a variety of options, including digital payment services,…
- Things To Do
Things that have changed in Thailand in the Covid Era | Top 10 | VIDEO
Top 10 things that have changed in Thailand during the Covid-era Things have changed. In some cases they’ve changed a lot and may never be the same again. Many people are suffering as a result of the impacts of lockdowns and the border closures. Some people are being forced to re-invent their lives as a result. Here are some of…
- Business News
Thai Airways announces extra repatriation flights for European and Asian cities
The executive vice president of Thai Airways, Wiwat Piyawiroj, says the national carrier is introducing 18 repatriation flights to cities in Asia and Europe. The flights will permit additional foreign nationals in Thailand to return to their home countries, while also allowing repatriating Thais or eligible foreigners to return to the Kingdom on the return flights. The flights are aimed…
- Tourism News
Eva Air pushes back Phuket flights to July 2021
A new timetable from Taiwan’s Eva Air indicates a delay to the planned resumption of direct flights between Taipei and Phuket, which had recently been tentatively pencilled in for March 2021. The new schedule now lists the flights as operating from July 1 next year with the airline’s website taking bookings from that date. The delay is indicative of the…
- Business News
Evidence of Thai Airways’ corruption, mismanagement, sent to Finance Ministry
The Finance Ministry has received 18 documents that show evidence of corruption and mismanagement at Thai Airways. The evidence was submitted by a Transport Ministry panel on corruption, pending a full investigation into “shady dealings” at the battered national carrier. The airline is currently undergoing a rehabilitation process, having filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. It’s understood the former…
- World News
Overly harsh travel restrictions are destroying aviation: AAPA
More than 6 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines is urging governments around the region to ease what they view as unduly burdensome restrictions on international air travel and re-establish global connectivity with evidence-based measures to safeguard public health. The industry is taking initial steps toward restarting international operations by working closely with governments, health…
- Covid-19 News
Global aviation recovery could take 3 years – Survey
“Widespread recovery of the global airline industry could be up to three years away.” That’s the consensus out of n industry poll conducted as part of FlightPlan: Charting a Course into the Future. 500 professionals around the world were asked questions about the likely recovery of the global aviation industry. Apart from the dire predictions of a slow recovery over the next…
- World News
Last Qantas 747 flight draws kangaroo logo in the sky to mark final voyage – VIDEO
The Qantas Boeing 747 has taken to the skies for the last time, marking its final journey by drawing the airline’s famous kangaroo logo in the sky. The design could be seen on flight radar maps as the aircraft, affectionately known as the Queen of the Skies, ascended out of Sydney for the last time. It flew over the Harbour…
- Business News
Thai Airways unlikely to resume flights in August
Anyone expecting the beleaguered Thai Airways to resume its flight schedule in August should not hold their breath. That’s the word from reliable sources in the industry, who predict the national carrier will not take to the skies again until September at the earliest. A report in TTR Weekly says the airline, currently undergoing a rehabilitation process, has extended its…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand proposes a 3 phase “travel bubble” strategy
Thailand is proposing a “travel bubble” pilot scheme featuring a proposed five areas of the country to be tested before international tourists are officially allowed to enter. The move is reportedly to focus on safely reopening by using the areas of Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket, and Pattaya, as experimental locations, which would allow tourists to enter at a maximum…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand extends international arrival ban except for certain groups
The current ban on international arrivals has been extended until further notice by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, with the exception of certain categories of foreigners and returning Thais. The news came late last night in a social media post by the CAAT. According to the statement, the extension is due to the ongoing global Covid-19 crisis, which many…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand eases up on social distancing requirements for domestic travel
The requirement for Thailand’s airlines to leave every second seat empty, as part of the conditions under which domestic services could resume, is being done away with. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says carriers can now sell every seat on a flight (whether or not airlines manage to do so is another matter). However, the CAAT says airlines must…
- Covid-19 News
International flight talks resume as “travel bubble” debate rages on
“There must be thorough discussions, which may continue into next month.” As the Thai government mulls the possibility of “travel bubbles” with countries where Covid-19 appears under control, aviation representatives are talking with commercial airlines about a potential return to international services. Limited domestic flights have been operating again since May, with the exception of Phuket, which resumed its domestic…
- Business News
Outrage over 75,000 baht travel allowance for senior execs at Thai Airways
The deputy leader of Thailand’s Democrat Party, Samart Ratchapolsitte, has slammed Thai Airways management for granting senior executives a monthly 75,000 baht “travel allowance”. Posting on Facebook, he decries the allowance granted to anyone holding the position of executive vice president at the long-struggling airline. Thailand’s national carrier, run as a state enterprise until it filed for bankruptcy protection, is…
- Covid-19 News
Borders start to reopen in Europe but restrictions on free travel remain
From today, a number of European countries will tentatively open their borders to some travellers, but total freedom of movement is still a long way off. The 22 EU countries, that are members of the Schengen area, normally enjoy restriction-free border crossings, but Covid-19 has put an end to that for now, and while some are opening up strict controls…
