THAI And Bangkok Airways Agree To Codeshare

Thai Airways International (THAI) and Bangkok Airways (BA) have entered a codeshare agreement which will remain effective until late October.

The two Thai-registered airlines signed the agreement on Monday. It covers 15 routes.

Bangkok Airways will operate 10 domestic routes. They are Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son; Samui – Phuket and between Bangkok and Samui, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Lampang, Sukhothai and Trat.

The airline will also operate four international round-trip routes between Bangkok and Danang in Vietnam, Luang Prabang in Laos, Maldives and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

THAI will open one round-trip route between Bangkok and Singapore. More routes to be operated by THAI are still in the consideration process.

The codeshare is effective from March 26 until Oct 27 this year. It can then be renewed by agreement on a six-monthly basis.

A joint statement said the two airlines were not direct competitors and cooperation would help passengers by giving them more choices, particularly those who have connecting flights.

THAI’s acting president Usanee Sangsingkeo said the two airlines had a business alliance going back over two decades in the pattern of selling tickets for linking routes, so this code-sharing agreement would help strengthen sales and give convenience for customers.

THAI hoped its ticket sales would increase 20-30% from this codeshare, up from approximately 170 billion baht last year, Ms Usanee said.

Bangkok Airways’ president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth expected that code sharing with THAI would increase ticket sales by 4-5%, but the partnership would help put Thailand on the map of the regional aviation hub.

He said the two airlines were likely to launch joint marketing activities. Bangkok Airways wanted to tap the markets in Europe, China and Australia.

THAI is the 22nd airline with which Bangkok Airways now has codeshare agreements. It is possible cooperation will also be extended to THAI’s subsidiaries THAI Smile and Nok Air.