Thai Airways tips return of Bangkok-Brisbane flights

Thai Airways is sizing up a return to Brisbane, complementing its services to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The Queensland capital had been part of Thai Airways’ network for many years, but these flights were suspended in 2020 for obvious reasons.

However, since then, Thai Airways has been undergoing a transformation on many fronts – not just in its business but also in its fleet. Following the retirement of some aircraft and the redeployment of others, the airline simply doesn’t have enough planes to run the volume of flights it had before. Clearly, new aircraft are key to getting more dots back onto Thai Airways’ map.

Speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Brisbane, Otto Gergye shares what needs to happen for Bangkok-Brisbane to return. Gergye is Thai Airways’ Commercial Advisor to the CEO: a man with his finger on the pulse.

Thai Airways needs more planes for Brisbane

Thai Airways previously flew a variety of aircraft types from Bangkok to Brisbane. Some flights were operated by the airline’s newer Boeing 787 jets, while others had been running on Thai’s more aged Boeing 777s. The airline also ran an inconsistent standard of cabin products in Business Class. Some flights had fully flat beds in a 1-2-1 layout, while others had angled-flat seats without universal direct aisle access.

As for the future, the Dreamliner looks to present the best opportunity for Thai in Queensland. In addition to the Boeing 787s already in the Thai Airways fleet, ‘we’ve got 80 Boeing 787s on order,’ Gergye highlights, ‘the first of which are arriving in 2027.’

‘Brisbane … features prominently on our radar, and it’s a question of getting enough aircraft. I think, definitely, there are growth opportunities. This year, we’re at 77 aircraft. We’ll finish the year at 79 (aircraft): 59 of those are wide body aircraft, (plus) 20 A320s.’

Juggling multiple priorities to grow a route network

It’s not just a matter of Thai Airways ordering a new plane to service Brisbane. There can be heavy competition between destinations for each new aircraft.

‘Sometimes, you have opportunities,’ Gergye reflects. ‘Last year, we had the opportunity to enter into a Joint Venture with Turkish Airlines. For that, we needed to fly to Istanbul, which gives us great coverage to a hundred European cities, so that was important. That (subsequently) delayed our opening of (the) Oslo (route).’

‘It’s a matter of where do we fly, and where do we put the aircraft. So, when we get around to balancing the network, Brisbane will come on board. The curfew-free Western Sydney airport is of course very interesting,’ as well.

‘Point of sale New Zealand is big for us through our partnership with fellow Star Alliance carrier Air New Zealand.’ Speaking of the potential of a Bangkok-Auckland service, ‘it’s a long sector and you need to balance it up.’

‘When we look at the passenger numbers, you look at Düsseldorf versus Auckland. What’s Düsseldorf going to give me? What’s Auckland going to give me? Düsseldorf’s a big market out of Australia, how do we balance it up?’ In terms of appeal for the next Australia/NZ city, ‘Auckland’s (appeal) may be a little bit less so. Australia, more so.’

Meanwhile, Jetstar is launching Brisbane-Bangkok flights from 13 December 2024. Given that Thai AirAsia X hasn’t resumed its own pre-pandemic service between the two cities, Jetstar will enjoy a monopoly for now.

Also read: Brisbane Airport plans International Terminal overhaul

Featured image courtesy of Boeing. Chris Chamberlin is attending the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Brisbane as a guest of CAPA Centre for Aviation.