Hire foreign sales consultant, former Thai Airways bosses urge
Former heads of Thai Airways International have suggested hiring a foreign sales and marketing specialist to revamp THAI's activities in these areas as competition intensifies.
THAI president Sorajak Kasemsuvan invited four former chiefs of the airline – Air Chief Marshal Prayad Disyasirin, Pol Lieutenant Chatchai Boonya-anand, Pisit Kulsalasaiwanond and Kanok Apiradee – to exchange views on how to improve the company’s business operations.
They all agreed that THAI should hire a foreign specialist with extensive experience in the aviation industry and major international airlines to help ensure the airline is competitive amid a rapidly changing business environment.
"Other airlines such as Turkish Airlines and Emirates have hired sales and marketing specialists with extensive experience and proven achievements to formulate plans and marketing to boost their sales revenue," Sorajak said.
Pisit noted that times had changed. In the past THAI operated as a state enterprise with various assistance from the state, such as flight routes and government-backed loans. However, today THAI operates more like a private corporation in a more competitive business environment. Hence only some of the suggestions of former THAI chiefs would be effective in today’s competitive business environment, which is not the same as in the past.
THAI is to announce its third-quarter operational results at a meeting of its board of directors today. The national carrier incurred losses of more than Bt7 billion in the first two quarters of the year.
The current political rallies could adversely affect fourth-quarter operations despite the final quarter of the year being the peak tourism season, especially after 16 foreign countries have issued travel advisories to warn its citizens about the potential risk to their safety should the Thai political conflicts escalate.
