GreenBkk.com Aviation | Thai cuts services on Tokyo route

Thai cuts services on Tokyo route

Published: 5/04/2011 at 12:00 AM

Thai Airways International (THAI) has cut back its services to Tokyo following a slump in demand in the aftermath of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.

It has removed one daily flight between Bangkok and Narita International Airport on a temporary basis until April 25, reducing its overall frequency on the Thailand-Japan sector to 52 flights per week from 59, sources at the flag carrier said yesterday.

The cut was made after the airline saw its load factor on the sector fall to about 50% from 90% following the disasters in Japan.

THAI has shifted the reduced capacity to its South Korean operation, effective today, with a second daily flight from Bangkok to Incheon, near Seoul.

The airline is monitoring the traffic volume on its Thailand-Japan sector. Executives said further cutbacks could not be ruled out in light of concerns about radioactive fallout from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

THAI continues to operate the most flights from Thailand to Japan, with two flights a day to Narita and a daily flight to Haneda near the Japanese capital using high-capacity aircraft such as Boeing's B747 and B777.

It is continuing its services from Bangkok to three other Japanese destinations _ Nagoya (two flights every Monday, Thursday and Saturday and one flight every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), Kansai (two flights daily) and Fukuoka (one flight daily).

Japan Airlines (JAL), another major operator on the Thailand-Japan route, has spared the Thai sector from its decision to rationalise its international services.

It is suspending 74 weekly flights on 11 international routes. It is also cutting back flights to Hong Kong, Honolulu, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Pusan, and it will switch to smaller jets for flights to Guam.

The cutbacks to the Shanghai, Seoul and Honolulu routes will be from three flights a day to two; to the other cities JAL will go from two flights a day to one. Most services, including the Honolulu route, will be cut from tomorrow until April 27, the airline said.

Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)