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  Volume: XX, Issue No. 02 September 1-15, 2010  
     
 
  AVIATION
  Thai Airways to order 15 new aircraft

_A Monitor Report
Bangkok : Thai Airways International has said that in addition to its previous order for eight A330-300 and six A380 between 2010-2013, the airline will also acquire another 15 new aircraft which will consist of seven regional aircraft (about 300 seats, through financial lease) and eight intercontinental aircraft (about 350 seats, through operating lease).

The aircraft THAI will order are seven Airbus A330-300s and eight Boeing B777-300ERs.

THAI has selected Zim Flugsitz GmbH as Seat Supplier for the new aircraft, replacing Koito. Zim Flugsitz GmbH will supply the economy class seats including the inflight entertainment for the A330-300 (4th to 8th aircraft) and for retrofitting of B747-400 (7th -12th aircraft).

THAI's Board has also approved on THAI's borrowing of THB 8 billion from the Siam Commercial Bank, for the period of 7 years.

Meanwhile, Thai Airways said recently that its second-quarter revenue and its cabin factor would be hit, mainly by recent political unrest and the tourist low season.

The national carrier expected its percentage of seats sold, or cabin factor, to be 60 per cent in the April-June quarter, down from 81 per cent in the first quarter, President Piyasvasti Amranand told reporters.

"The recent political unrest has slashed a lot of revenue we should earn in the second quarter," Piyasvasti said, referring to anti-government protests in Bangkok from March to May which ended with a military crackdown and violence.

Early this month, the airline said it expected its second-quarter performance this year would be roughly the same as the same period of last year.

It reported a loss of THB5.4 billion baht (US$167 million) in the second quarter of 2009, hit partly by political unrest and the H1N1 flu outbreak.

The company is due to announce its second-quarter results in August.

In April this year, its cabin factor was 72 per cent but it dropped to 56.8 per cent in May, Piyasvasti said.

"However, it is likely to pick up from July, especially on the flight to Johannesburg," he said. South Africa is hosting the 2010 World Cup.

The airline had said in February it was aiming for a 2010 cabin factor of 75 per cent, compared with 72 per cent in 2009.

The national carrier expected a fund-raising plan to be completed in the third quarter, delayed from the middle of the year as initially planned, said an executive who declined to be identified.

"We are in the process of filing documents to the stock regulator," the executive said.

Thai Airways announced the stock offer in March by selling up to 1 billion new shares to the public and shareholders, including the Finance Ministry, which owns 51 per cent of the airline.

The move is aimed at strengthening its financial position as it overhauls operations and restructures management.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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