Thai Airways debunks reports of pilots' mass resignation

Thailand’s national carrier Thai Airways on Monday (Aug 25) denied reports that scores of pilots suddenly left the company after the airlines’ earnings were hit by competition and high costs.

Executive vice president for operations Athisak Padchuenjai on Monday debunked local media reports, saying it was not true that 200 pilots have resigned. He added that about 30 pilots have left Thai Airways this year, but it has not affected the airline’s operations.

Thai Airways is undergoing restructuring after it posted losses for five consecutive quarters. It has proposed to cut 1,500 jobs this year, and it intends to shed a quarter of its full-time staff by 2018.

The airline had 1,350 pilots as at August this year. About 100 student pilots join the carrier every year, said Athisak.

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Thai Airways jet makes emergency landing in Bali due to cracked window

A Thai Airways plane en route from Sydney to Bangkok made an emergency landing on the Indonesian island of Bali after a crack was discovered in the cockpit window, officials said Wednesday (Aug 13).

The Boeing 747, carrying 273 passengers and 21 crew, was six hours into the journey Tuesday when the captain found the defect and decided to land on Bali, the airline said in a statement. The Daily Mail Australia identified the flight as TG467 and reported that the cracked window caused a fall in cabin pressure.

A spokesman for the island's airport described the landing at around 5pm (0900 GMT) as a "minor disruption".

There were no reports of injuries and the passengers stayed in a Bali hotel overnight. They were set to fly on to Bangkok later Wednesday in another plane. Thai Airways said it was sending a team to Bali to investigate the incident and supervise the changing of the damaged window.

In September last year, more than a dozen passengers were slightly injured when a Thai Airways jet skidded off the runway in Bangkok after the landing gear malfunctioned.

Just over a week before that incident, dozens of passengers and crew were injured when a Thai Airways A380 superjumbo hit severe turbulence during a flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong.

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Thai Airways bans shark fin from cargo flights

Thai Airways has banned shark fin from its cargo flights as part of a growing global campaign against the popular delicacy in Asia.

The carrier joins a host of other airlines in taking a stand against shark fin, highly prized by many in the region, especially in Hong Kong and China where it is commonly served as a soup at wedding banquets and corporate parties.

"As part of the world community sharing in the great concern for the protection of endangered species and the environment, Thai Airways International has implemented its own official policy to place an embargo on the shipping of shark fin products," the airline said in a statement Tuesday.

Conservationists say booming demand for fins has put pressure on the world's shark populations, prompting calls for measures to restrict their trade.

Thai Airways officially stopped flying shark fin from July 15 but has avoided shipping fins for over a year, according to the statement. The move brings the carrier into line with a number of other Asian airlines including Philippine Airlines, which said in April it had stopped flying shark fin cargoes.

Air New Zealand as well as South Korea's two largest airlines, Korean Air and Asiana, separately announced last year that they would ban shark fins from their cargo flights, a year after Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific also stopped shipping them.

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Airlines dangle sweet deals for off-peak travel

THERE is no better time to take off on a trip.

From less than $300 for short flights on Singapore Airlines (SIA) and other full-service carriers to about $500 for flights to cities in India and China, there are deals galore for budget-conscious travellers considering a vacation.

As the year-end holiday break draws to a close, full-service airlines are dangling sweet deals, with discounts of up to 40 per cent on normal fares, to get people to travel during the slow season from January to March.

Although airlines often offer discounts during off-peak seasons to fill seats, the deals have grown more attractive, said travel agents and aviation analysts.

Fare Deals

Airlines are cutting fares by about 20-40 per cent for off-peak travel.

Air France	⬛ $1,131-$1,360 to cities in Europe
Cathay Pacific	⬛ $281 to Hong Kong
Garuda Indonesia	⬛ $120-$250 to Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya and other Indonesian cities
Jet Airways	⬛ $366 to Chennai ⬛ $520 to Mumbai and Goa
Qatar Airways	⬛ $270 to Bali ⬛ $1,185 to Paris ⬛ $1,850 to Washington
Singapore Airlines	⬛ $238-$278 to Jakarta, Bangkok, Bali and other regional cities ⬛ $698 to Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul ⬛ $1,288 to Europe
Thai Airways	⬛ $428 to Hong Kong, Macau, Yangon ⬛ $1,038 to London, Paris, Milan, other cities in Europe

Source: Airline websites

The main reason is stiff competition not just among full-service airlines but also from budget carriers such as Tigerair and AirAsia.

Travellers keen to bask in the sun and sand in Bali, for example, have many options.

SIA is offering a promotional return fare of $278 while Qatar Airways has a $270 deal. Garuda Indonesia is offering an extra-special $130 fare.

These promotional fares are 20 to 40 per cent lower than the usual rates (see sidebar).

There are good deals for Europe too, travel agents and airlines said.

Thai Airways, for example, is offering starting fares of $1,038 on its website for travel to London, Frankfurt and Paris, among other European cities.

Qatar Airways is doing a special promotion for travellers here to mark a decade of flights to Changi Airport, said Mr Jonathan Zhang, its country manager for Singapore. Discounts are available for selected destinations such as New York and Paris, he said.

Mr Sentot Mujiono, Garuda Indonesia's vice-president for South-east Asia, said: "Usually, travel bookings are slower in the first quarter of the year - many Singaporeans have just returned from their year-end holidays and are easing back into work."

But there are folks who prefer to avoid peak periods, he said, noting that travelling off-peak means cost savings from discounted travel and fewer crowds.

Ms Alicia Seah, marketing communications director at tour agency Dynasty Travel, said: "There is a lot of capacity being added to the market with new flights and destinations, so you do find that airlines are offering good deals to attract travellers."

In addition, airlines are competing with cruise operators, which are bringing new and larger ships to Singapore, she said.

"The big winner here is the traveller," she added.

One traveller who is mulling over the offers is civil servant Amy Tham, 39, who is single.

"I have no kids and the last thing I want is to travel during the school holidays when everything is so expensive and it's crowded everywhere. I think the off-peak deals are great."

Said customer service manager Catherine Kueh, 50, who paid about $1,200 for a week-long package tour to China next month: "It's a good deal - three cities, meals, accommodation."

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