THAI to be more flexible, shorten decision-making

The national carrier will also focus more on cutting costs in order to return the company to profitability.

Chokchai Panyayong, THAI senior executive vice president for strategy and business development, and acting president of the airline, said that if everything went to plan, he believed sales would grow by 3-4 per cent from about Bt200 billion last year. 

The carrier would also get back into the black, after suffering a loss of Bt12 billion last year, he said. 

He acknowledged that THAI’s operational culture had not been in line the new business trend, resulting in lost business opportunity.

He cited the decision-making process in regard to closing low-performing routes as an example.    Once the company sees such a performance level, it must either stop the route in question or reduce flight frequency very quickly. 

However, the carrier has until now been taking too long to make such crucial decisions, resulting in rising losses, said Chokchai.

   This year, THAI intends to cut costs to the tune of Bt2 billion via belt-tightening measures in its operations. 

Among these measures is adjusting the number of aircrew on each flight to meet the actual number of passengers. 

In addition, it will reduce the number of flights by 10 per cent and the overall number of seats by 3-4 per cent in the second quarter, which is the low season, said the acting company chief.

The cost-cutting programme  will be operated alongside seeking ways to increase THAI’s sales, especially from non-core businesses such as catering and selling on-board duty-free products. 

Last month, Chokchai presented THAI’s 2014 strategy to the carrier’s board, which agreed to change strategy in order to makes its operations – and the decision-making process, in particular – more dynamic.

The airline will have to balance supply and demand in providing its services, while cost reduction and pooling between THAI and its Thai Smile airline are also in focus.