NEW AIRLINE: THAI Smile Set to Brighten Parent’s International Network

Thai Airways International has confirmed that its new business division THAI Smile Air will launch services on July 1, 2012 as recruitment commences for the start-up’s own cabin staff. The airline will be positioned as a low-to-medium-cost carrier between the mainline operation and low-cost venture Nok Air, but will not be a standalone operation like Nok Air but an internal business unit.

THAI Smile will commence operations with four leased Airbus 320s, increasing its fleet to eleven aircraft in the future. These were initially expected to be used to start services to domestic destinations such as Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani from a base at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport before expanding into the international market in 2013 serving locations in Southeast Asia, China and India.

However, it now appears that the start-up will initially have more of a focus on international routes than first expected after Thai Airways International increased its shareholding in Nok Air and expanded its domestic role. Under a revised four-year plan, THAI Smile is expected to offer flights within a three to four hour range from Bangkok and Thai is understood to be discussing traffic rights for a number of new overseas destinations to be se served from Thai Smile’s launch in July.

It is expected to inaugurate operations on July 1 initially with a twice daily link between Bangkok and Macau. As additional aircraft arrive THAI Smile will introduce daily services on the Bangkok – Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai – Phuket routes from August 1, while the carrier will replace Thai Airways on international links from Bangkok to Jakarta, Kolkata and Phnom Penh from the same date. According to Thai’s provisional schedule THAI Smile will also take over the operation of the daily Bangkok – Surat Thani route from September 1 and will operate the four-times weekly winter seasonal Bangkok – Gaya – Varansai – Bangkok rotation from October 1.

THAI Smile is expected to carry an estimated 300,000 passengers during its first year and will latterly adopt a number of routes from Thai Airways International as additional aircraft arrive. These are likely to be markets with limited premium demand and where the Thai Smile brand will fit the operation better.

The airline will offer a two-class product and will serve a mix of existing and new destinations using Thai’s current ‘TG’ flight code. But, with a lower cost structure than its parent, THAI Smile will able to fly to a number of locations that cannot be served profitably by the mainline division, or serve existing routes more efficiently. According to reports likely destinations it will serve include Amritsar, Brunei, Danang, Macau, Medan and Penang.

"Thai Airways International is offering THAI Smile, as a business unit that offers customers Premium Light flight services on short haul journeys,” explained Piyasvasti Amranand, President, Thai Airways International. “The THAI Smile brand character is reflective of the new generation of travellers who place importance on having more choices and value for money."