Swine flu bringing Thai Airways down

The swine flu outbreak has caused Thai Airways International’s passenger numbers from eastern Asia to steeply drop, its executive board chairman said yesterday.

Chairman Wallop Bhukkanasut told Bangkok Post that the carrier was suffering from the effects of Influenza A (H1N1) with drops of up to 20 percent in passenger numbers from Asian countries including China, Japan and Korea.

The sharp drop has forced the carrier to focus on its European market, recently launching its first route to Oslo in Norway.

“The average number of passengers on each flight has increased by 80 per cent”

THAI will welcome six more new planes this year and two more in 2010, adding to its recent delivery of two new Airbus A330-300 planes.

Wallop said the new planes would be used for flights to Australia, Japan and “other appropriate destinations.”

According to China’s Xinhua, Thailand has suffered the most severe effects of the swine flu in Asia reporting 4000 confirmed cases and 24 deaths to date.



Source = e-Travel Blackboard: 
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