Thai Airways International

THAI seeks accord with Bangkok AirwaysThai Airways International is looking at Bangkok Airways in a friendlier light as it strives for broad co-operation to eliminate unnecessary competition.

Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth welcomed the flag carrier's overtures, which he termed a good sign amid rising competition from foreign and Thai-foreign owned operators.

A recent meeting between Capt Puttipong and THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand achieved a sense of co-operation that the two Thai airlines can complement each other.

In late November, a few weeks after he assumed the THAI presidency, Dr Piyasvasti called for Thai airlines to form a united front against foreign rivals, especially the fledging budget carrier Air-Asia, whose rapid expansion he designated a ''threat''.

''We can co-operate by avoiding route and flight schedule overlapping and by establishing more code-shares,'' Dr Piyasvasti told Capt Puttipong.

''THAI can concentrate on international routes while we can play a feeder role by transferring their passengers into our domestic and regional routes,'' said Capt Puttipong.

The two airlines could also work together on THAI's proposed establishment of a flying academy. Their different aircraft types could enable pilots to be trained on a wider variety of planes, he added. But he ruled out Bangkok Airways becoming an equity partner in THAI.

Bangkok Airways is keener to collaborate with THAI than with Orient Thai Airlines and its budget carrier One-Two-Go.

Orient Thai, a privately owned Thai group, approached Bangkok Airways about four months ago regarding an alliance. But Bangkok Airways said discrepancies between the two groups make integration impossible.

The Orient Thai group's business models, operating concepts, aircraft types and routes were seen as totally different from those of Bangkok Airways, which saw no benefits from forming an alliance.

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