KARACHI:
Showing strong commitment and encouraged by steadily increasing passenger traffic, Thai Airways has announced that it will increase one flight each from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to Bangkok.
“At a time when international airlines are shying away from Pakistan owing to security issues, Thai Airways is increasing its flights. This shows our strong 37-year commitment to our Pakistani passengers,” Thai Airways Country Manager Polapat Neelabhamorn said at a press conference here on Thursday.
“Our passenger base is growing continuously in Pakistan and we felt the need to increase flights for customer convenience,” he added.
The new flight from Karachi will start from November 30, from Islamabad it will begin from December 1 and from Lahore the flight will start from February 20, 2013.
Responding to a question about fares, Manager Sales and Marketing Pakistan Asad Farooqui said despite financial constraints and rising operating cost, the airline kept its fares competitive in Pakistan over the years to keep up with competition.
After the addition of one more flight, the total number of weekly flights from Karachi will be five, from Islamabad the number will rise to four and from Lahore it will be six in a week.
With six flights a week, Lahore tops among three major cities of Pakistan. Giving the reason for this, Farooqui said most of the Pakistanis from upcountry areas preferred to travel from Lahore to Bangkok and beyond.
To a question about annual growth rate of the airline in Pakistan, Farooqui said he could not immediately tell the growth figure for the air carrier. “Definitely, we are growing in Pakistan,” he said, “from three flights at our launch 37 years ago, today we are operating 15 flights a week.”
Pakistani passengers were mostly business-related people, tourists and students, he said, adding most Pakistani businessmen used Thai Airways to travel to China, while tourists usually visited Thailand and neighbouring countries. In addition to these, a number of Pakistani students travelled to Australia through Thai Airways.
The air carrier started operations from Karachi 37 years ago, added Lahore to its network 15 years ago and Islamabad eight years ago.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
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Appreciate the success of Thai Air in Pakistan which the credit goes to the honorable Arif Suleman Honorary Counsel Thai Ministry of Commerce and with Mr Polapat Neelabhamorn and Mr Asad Farooqi to bring Thailand as hub for Pakistan, ASEAN, China and beyond. Karachi has lost its position as hub to Europe, ASEAN. Today our hub is Bangkok, and Dubai. With the initiatives taken by the Honorable Arif Suleman Esq., to promote trade links from Pakistan which has resulted travel/trade to and from Thailand. Suggest special round trip package for trade fairs, events in Thailand from Pakistan to promote travel, and other promotions as well including special promotional fare for travel within Thailand, by Air, land, railway, metro train, domestic travel and hotel as well to promote Thailand as a better welcoming country.
“from three flights at our launch 37 years ago, today we are operating 15 flights a week.”
in 4 decades, the number of flights has increased to just 15, understand the difference, under two decades of growth, china became the second largest economy. no business man in his right mind would ever call the increase from 3 to 15 in almost 4 decades as a growth. Seriously, 4 decades is more than enough to turn the country in to a shining example for the rest of the world.
Except Arab airlines, I think Thai is the only one operating in PK whereas 30 years back all majot world airlines used to operate from Pakistan. Sorry state of affairs but nobody is bothered & blaming on MOSSAD+RAW+CIA. We are living in self denial.
What used to be a major hub (Karachi Airport) for almost all the International renowned Airlines in the 80s and early 90s has dwarfed into a regional haunted Airport. I say this with a very heavy heart, as I have spent most of my life attached with the Aviation industry. This security state doctrine has plagued everything good, we once had.
Since Malaysian Airline & Singapore have closed their flights to Pakistan, Thai Airways is taking advantage of this, sensible decision.
Nice loaded sentence "At a time when international airlines are shying away from Pakistan owing to security issues".
every other company have closed down.. thai is just taking advantage..