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TLA to Ignore ICAO Red Flag and Acquire Three Wide-Body Jets
26th Sep 2017
Whether the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) decides after its audit later this week that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has done enough for it to lift Thailand’s red flag or not, one airline is already making plans to expand its fleet. Thai Lion Air (TLA) a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Lion Air Group is on course to acquire three wide-body Airbus A330-300 aircraft this November.
This was confirmed by TLA’s Chief Executive Officer Aswin Yangkirativorn, who also added that the budget carrier will add two more aircraft shortly after the first three.
These jets will be used on flights from the carrier’s base at Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok to northern China, Japan and South Korea, once the proper permissions are obtained. China shouldn’t be a problem as far as ICAO ban is concerned, but flights to Japan and South Korea and subject to Thai airline’s restrictions on international flights. TLA plans to use A330-300s on routes to Narita, Japan and Incheon, South Korea.
Mr Aswin said:
Even if ICAO keeps the red flag, we will continue to take delivery of A330-300s as planned, but we will deploy in other destinations such as China [where ICAO's red flag is not strictly enforced].
ICAO should make the final decision about lifting the red flag later this week. Its team has been in Thailand since last week to audit CAAT and see if this organization sufficiently addressed the “significant safety concerns” the regulatory organization discovered back in 2015.
The fleet expansion is a crucial part of TLA’s switch to medium-and-long-haul services and will add to its already established operations as a short-haul airline using narrow-body Boeing 737s.
The first three Airbus A330-300s will be ready for commercial flights in the first quarter of next year (Q12018), provided that ICAO’s verdict is positive. said TLA’s CEO.
TLA is also not forgetting its narrow-body fleet. To its total of 27 Boeing 737-800s and Boeing 737-900ERs, the carrier also plans to add between five and seven new-gen models of Boeing 737-Max 8s next year.
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