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THAI AIRWAYS |
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THAI AIRWAYS |
Three Decades Of Flying Thai Airways is one of the first airlines to connect Kathmandu with the rest of the world By Bharat Sharma It was on the 4th of December, 1968 when the 72-seater Caravelle of the Thai Airways first landed at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA).
Thirty-two years down the line, the airways is operating daily jet flights to Kathmandu and back from Bangkok. Thai Airways is one of the most important foreign airlines serving the country as it brings foreign tourists to this country with the tourism-centered economy. As Thailand itself is a tourism hub, its link with Kathmandu betters the prospect for the development of tourism in the country in terms of bringing tourists and marketing the possibilities. During summer, the airways operates AB-6S jet with a capacity of carrying 260 passengers and in winter (October till March) it operates with B777 with the capacity of 358 passengers. "On average, 85% of our passengers are tourists and the rest include locals and others," said Martin Lama, District Sales Manager of Thai Airways in Kathmandu. With tourists having a lion's share of the airways' passenger list, it can be safely argued that the airways has been playing a positive role in the betterment of tourism in the country. About the possibility of the airway's expansion of services in future Lama says, "All depends on tourist traffic but we are positive to increase our flights in future if demands are there." Thai Airways International, the national flag carrier of Thailand, started its first full operation in 1960. From catering to the initial 83,000 passengers, the airways has come a long way by serving 15.3 million people in 1997/98. It operates domestic, regional and intercontinental flights linking its home base in Bangkok to 72 key destinations in 33 countries across four continents. Within Thailand, the airways operated domestic services from Bangkok to 22 Thai cities. The airways has achieved profitability every year for the last 34 consecutive years since 1965. |
Coverstory
| Safa
Tempos | Thai
Airways | Propaganda | Interview
| Economy |
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