Thai Airways to resume flights to Colombo

By Harischandra Gunaratna

Thai Airways International on Friday announced that the airline would resume passenger flight operations Colombo/ Bangkok, from 31 March, after a lapse of four years, with daily flghts.

Addressing the media, Thai Airways Director Sales Commercial Wit Kitchathorn said: “Sri Lanka was a very important destination for the airline in South Asia. The airline returns to the fold with renewed vigour and confidence following the COVID-19 pandemic. We will operate daily flights to Colombo from Bangkok. Before the pandemic, we had five flights a week.

Kitchathorn said in 2023 the airline had made profits to the tune of over 795 million USD. “We were able to pay up all its debts,” he said.

Asked how Thai Airways planned to promote religious tourism between Sri Lanka and Thailand, Kitchatorn said the tour arm of the airline, Royal Orchid Holidays, have realised the importance of that market segment. “We are vigorously promoting religious tourism. The first group of Thai Buddhist pilgrims of 30-40 pax are eagerly awaiting the resumption of Thai flights between Bangkok and Colombo to visit this country. And thereafter, Royal Orchid Holidays will bring in larger groups of Thai Buddhist tourists.

The senior airline manager said during the pandemic, Thai Airways had to cut down its overseas staff by 50 percent (from 30,000 to 15, 000). “I, too, had to return home from my post as the Country Manager of Thai Airways in London after the pruning down,” he said, air fleet also had to be drastically reduced due to the pandemic.

“We return to the fold with renewed vigour and confidence.”
Andre Fernando, Managing Director, MAC Holdings, the GSA for Thai Airways in Sri Lanka, a seasoned campaigner in passenger and cargo operations said, following the suspension of Thai passenger flights to Colombo only cargo flights were operated to Colombo transporting medical equipment and medical supplies with both the cabin and the cargo hold full of cargo.

He said that Thai would operate narrow bodied Airbus 320-200 with 12 economy plus seats and 156 economy class seats. The airline has decided to maintain a flight schedule of a flight leaving Bangkok at 21.05 and arriving in Colombo at 00.01 hours the following day. The flight departs Colombo for Bangkok 1.20 hours and arrives in Bangkok at 07.30 am, Fernando said.