Stories tagged with air
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Nok Air lays off 260 more staff
In response to the continuing slump in customer demand and the high price of fuel, budget carrier Nok Air has announced it is laying off 260 staff, including ground crew, cabin crew and pilots. After laying off 250 employees earlier this month, the airline is now down to half of its original workforce.
Nok Air's CEO, Patee Sarasin, told reporters that the airline is undergoing a major restructuring and will trim any unnecessary overhead costs to keep the airline flying. Patee admits that Nok Air has suffered huge losses in recent months, and this latest round of staff cuts was needed to bring the company’s operational losses back into balance. He claims there will no additional staff cutbacks.
The most recent layoff of 260 is a voluntary redundancy. Patee stated that the airline has set aside 20 million baht to compensate those who choose to take an early retirement. Rumors have been swirling that Nok Air’s employees have been protesting over the staff cuts, but Satee denies this.
With 500 employees remaining and three aircraft currently in service, Nok Air hopes it can weather the storm. In a sign of optimism, the carrier has placed an order for two additional aircraft, set to arrive in November.
Posted by: Andrew on 27 Sep 2008, 10:24 -
Nok Air suspends flights to Phuket
In another blow to Phuket’s tourism industry, Thai low-fare carrier Nok Air has announced it is suspending all of its flights to the resort island for the indefinite future. With Thailand’s tourism high season kicking off in November, this is bad news for both travellers and industry operators.
Nok Air’s Chief Executive Officer told the Phuket Gazette by email that “we have suspended flights to Phuket for this month. We will resume [flying to] Phuket in the very near future after we have arranged our new TPI [timetable planning] for the coming high season.”
Fortunately for Phuket, Nok Air is eager to resume flights as soon as passenger demand returns to profitable levels. Beach town Patong’s Phuket Carnival, which happens on 1 November is the unofficial start of the island’s high season.
With Thailand’s other budget carrier One-Two-Go still grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority until October, there are fewer flights than ever to Phuket. Travellers can always take a VIP bus to the island, however, and a number of flights still operate out of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Posted by: Andrew on 19 Sep 2008, 10:38 -
Orient Air and One-Two-Go Shut Down by Thai Authorities
In response to an investigation by the Department of Civil Aviation that Orient Air and One-Two-Go violated air safety laws, both carriers have had their operating licenses revoked. The allegations stem from the fatal crash of a One-Two-Go plane at Phuket’s airport.
Chaisak Aungsuwan, the director of the Department of Civil Aviation, condemned both One-Two-Go and its parent company Orient Air for inadequate maintenance and a lack of supervision concerning safety and maintenance by the management. The two Thai carriers, One-Two-Go in particular, falsified the results of proficiency tests taken by their pilots and did not adhere to the industry standard for pilots’ working hours.
The carriers did not conduct mandatory safety training or even check up on their pilots’ knowledge of the safety manual. Chaisak stated that “the department will file criminal suits against their pilots, inspectors and the companies within two weeks.” Several families of the crash victims are also planning lawsuits against the airlines. Orient Air and One-Two-Go will have to show that they have brought their standards up to regulation before the department will consider allowing them to resume operations.
Posted by: Andrew on 30 Jul 2008, 11:21 -
Nok Air Latest Thai Carrier to Scale Back Operations
Reflecting the ongoing escalation of fuel costs and inflation, Nok Air announced that it was cutting back both its fleet of aircraft and its staff. In an attempt to survive the recent fuel hikes in Thailand, flights were being reduced by 25 per cent and unprofitable routes dropped altogether.
Just as Thailand’s low-cost carriers were picking up steam, the global price of oil has brought them crashing back to earth. Nok Air is the latest budget airline to downsize its operations to help cope with the fuel hikes.
As oil reached US$146 a barrel, Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin said the airline could no longer absorb the impact of these high prices. “Every single dollar increased per barrel of oil is adding up to five million baht on our operation cost,” he stated.
To help the popular Thai budget carrier survive, Sarasin said that shareholders and board members of the company had approved a survival package which is now in effect. Under the new plan, all staff of Nok Air will have their salaries cut by 20 to 25 per cent, even pilots and supervisors. Nok Air will also cut back its flights from 108 to 73 per week, and operate only from its most profitable domestic routes: Chiangmai, Udon Thani, Hat Yai, Trang and Nakhon Sri Thammarat.
Posted by: Andrew on 25 Jul 2008, 08:53 -
Rain soaks up bad air
Fears that Chiang Mai might again suffer hazardous air quality conditions this season have been unfounded, and recent early season rains have brought the PM10 levels down way below the critical level.
Thunder showers through the week in the late afternoon, and humid conditions have served to mitigate the effects of chronic burning that occurs at this point in the dry season, creating hazy conditions and filling the air with harmful particles. Climate conditions have also been more favourable than 2007 when the province was blighted with hazardous air conditions for more than a month. So far, only a eight days in March this year have produced conditions where the PM10 index is above the 120 level considered dangerous to respiration.
Over the last weekend of March the index had fallen below 80, and the mountains were again visible (a quick indicator), but in Mae Hong Son province, where the burning is out of control, the index remained well above 100.
Local tourist business have complained the bookings are down 20%, as the negative publicity of the previous year has taken its toll on tourism confidence in the Northern region. However a widely initiated campaign to educate locals and discourage burning has helped spread the word among villagers and city dweller alike.
Rain in early April is unusual, and has been a welcome respite from the high temperatures being experienced. The King has also taken a personal interest in the problem this year and has instructed rain-making exercises to be conducted, helping ease the problem.
Pollution control department readings
Posted by: Andrew on 31 Mar 2008, 09:29 -
Bad air returns to Chiang Mai
Habitual burning and stagnant air conditions have brought back the annual smog that blankets Chiang Mai in March each year. So far it hasn’t been quite as bad as 2007, but visibility in the mountains has been poor and the air quality index is approaching unhealthy levels.
Tourism in this Northern city takes a knock for a few weeks in March each year as farmers burn fields or mountain sides, contributing think smoke to the ambient air which at times can be dangerous to breathe. At present measuring stations at the airport and in the old town have yet to record any days were the PM<10 index has topped the critical 120 level. This is a measure of the sub 10 microns in the air, which are able to lodge in the membranes of the lungs.
When the measure of parts per million increases above 120, the air is considered unhealthy to breathe, and during one week last year it topped 300. This was a result of unusual climate conditions where a lack of moisture in the air (to bind the particles) and a lack of wind in the Ping valley exasperated the situation.
Such conditions are not expected this year, but travellers with asthma conditions or young children are advised to avoid the city or spend their time here up in mountain reaches or outside of the valley – which acts as a natural trap. By the end of March the hazard usually passes.
In addition to poor breathable air, the natural beauty of the mountainous north disappears as visibility drops. On Thursday March 6th the PM>10 value was measured at 97, and Doi Suithep mountain was barely visible from the city. However, by contrast the industrial suburb of Bangkok, Samut Prakarn had a measure of 186. Lampang is another Northern area particularly at risk, measuring 140.
Pollution Control Department regional air quality data
Posted by: Andrew on 06 Mar 2008, 12:16 -
Protesting taxis jam Bangkok airport
Passengers arriving at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport were greeted with an unwelcoming wait Tuesday as taxis refused to pick anyone up. Sudden changes to the parking and pickup permits prompted about 2,000 taxi drivers to stage a protest at the airport which was eventually dispersed at 3pm.
The protesting drivers gathered at the Public transport Centre after the Airports of Thailand (AOT) suddenly introduced a trial plan that cancelled their permits. They were expected to now park and wait at an off-site facility which is no longer provided free of charge. Getting to and from Bangkok airport
The taxi drivers became furious when the AOT management begun allowing unlicenced taxis in to alleviate the problem, which developed shortly after 8am. AOT has been paying an outsourced company 700,000 baht a month to manage the taxi queuing system, as well as paying 300,000 in upkeep of the parking facility.
At 3pm the standoff finally ended when representatives of AOT agreed that the plan would be suspended and to first consider proposals from the taxi drivers, whom the AOT wants to assume responsibility for managing the queuing system. It claimed to have already consulted a committee who apparently were representing the drivers.
AOT’s management of transportation at the airport has been previously criticised for its lack of transparency and fairness. Their own, grossly overpriced, limousine service is unfairly promoted in the arrivals area, where passengers are warned not take the metered taxis for their own safety, despite having been awarded permits to pick up from the airport. Numerous complaints continue to pour in about the aggressive AOT-approved touts who accost visitors in the arrivals hall offering the limo service. Only recently AOT reluctantly agreed to move the taxi pick up to the ground floor and move their limos to the basement.
Info on Bangkok airport
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Dec 2007, 21:12