Thai cargo wants a new hub for Europe : LGG or HHN

[Acid-drop]

THAI Cargo team led by Mr.Pruet Boobphakam, Managing Director, Mr.Poonsak Chumchuay, Cargo & Mail Sales Dept Director and Mrs.Suvimol Bualerd, Standards & Marketing Development Dept Director joined Transport Logistics 2009 & Air Cargo Europe 2009 at Munich Exhibition and Conference Center during 12-15 May 2009 to meet customers and freight forwarders. The Global Partners projects were also presented to discuss with many airlines' managements to revise/create the interline agreements to expand the network of services. The team also investigated the readiness of Frankfurt Hahn Airport and Liege Airport for the possibility that 2 airports can be hubs for Europe and Africa for the freighter services of THAI in the near future.This news in in fact 6 weeks old already.
I guess they want to start a full cargo service, so far they have only belly cargo.
Did you guys hear any new information about this ?

[B-HKD]

I remember reading something about a agreement to take the last two 744s off the line.

To be exact, the two LoadAir(never started ops.) 744ERFs.

Anybody with more info?

[411A]

Did you guys hear any new information about this ?
Yes, however it will be at least two years into the future, possibly sooner (maybe), if freight traffic picks up.
Don't hold your breath.
Freight is highly destressed at the moment, but picking up very slowly.

[Acid-drop]

Freight is highly destressed at the moment, but picking up very slowly.nice way of putting it ;)
On the other hand, Cargo from Asia seems the least impacted

[charter man]

Cargo rates are not depressed on some of the tradtional routes such as Europe-Nigeria, in fact they are increasing, so not all bad news out there, unless you are struggling with old debts.....

[B-HKD]

NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Thai Airways International Public Company Limited recently signed a Block Space Agreement to utilize two Boeing 777-200 Long Range Freighter Aircraft operated by Southern Air Inc. (SAI).
Mr. Pruet Boobphakam, THAI Executive Vice President Commercial and Acting Managing Director of Cargo & Mail Commercial Department, said that under the Aircraft Block Space Agreement, THAI acquired all of the capacity on SAI's brand new B777-200LR Freighter aircraft. The agreement makes THAI the first operator in the region to offer this capability to its cargo customers.
The B777-200LR Freighter is the most advanced freighter aircraft ever built in term of fuel efficiency and low carbon footprint and has more than 100 metric tons of cargo capacity. The two aircraft will arrive in early 2010 and are expected to be used initially for the route from Bangkok to Europe and eventually for additional routes such as Australia and the US.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Brian R. Neff, President of SAI, said, "There is growing recognition in the cargo industry that the B777LRF will be the long-haul aircraft for the coming decade and beyond, and our new partnership with THAI Cargo only confirms this recognition. We welcome THAI Cargo into our blue-chip customer base and look forward to a successful cooperation."
Southern Air Inc. was founded in 1999 as a low-cost, high-quality cargo carrier specializing in the provision of block space and aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance ("ACMI") services through its fleet of 17 B747 freighter aircraft. It is the first ACMI operator in the world to operate the next generation of freighter aircraft, which includes the B777-200LRF and the B747-8F.

[Acid-drop]

That's some nice news !
Now, they only have to pick an european airport hub.
I cross my fingers to make LGG win ;)
Southern air 742 are already seens very often there as they operate for Ethiopian.

[Lambrettaman]

It's interesting to note that Thai have only signed a 'Block Space Agreement' with Southern rather than a straight wet-lease agreement. This would tend to indicate that Thai have either not taken all the aircraft capacity or that the flights will operate under Southern's AOC and flight numbers. I doubt if Thai are in a positon to commit to the full time utilisation of two B777F's with all the cargo capacity available originating from China.

[Po Boy]

It is the first ACMI operator in the world to operate the next generation of freighter aircraft, which includes the B777-200LRF and the B747-8F.

When did Southern place an order for the 747-8F?????

[Nom De Guerre]

Po Boy, if you re-read that then re-read it again, they're refering to the 777 and the 748 as "being included in the next generation of -F aircraft". I think :hmm: .

[Acid-drop]

It seems Thai is operating into FRA with a Southern B743 ...
That's no LGG or HHN ...

On the other hand, rumour say they visited again LGG last week.

Anybody with info ?

[newscaster]

Here is BKK-DXB-FRA twice weekly service.

TG9920 BANGKOK 0300 FRANKFURT 1250 1(stop) 25OCT09 27MAR10 743

[Acid-drop]

It looks like Thai cargo is going great out of FRA.
House full signs up for THAI on Frankfurt route-Air Shipping News-JCtrans (http://info.jctrans.com/jcnet/news/asn/20091130825686.shtml)

But that's no HHN or LGG.
Any body has info about their european hub in the future ?

[Acid-drop]

one year later ...

It seems Thai is flying to LGG finally, with 777
It's been only 2 days, so it's hard to tell if it will become regular
anybody has info ?

[Smoketrails]

Operating out of MST(JNB-NBO-MST-BKK) too! But nobody seems knows if it is Southern related or actually a Thai operation!? The end destination would suggest Thai Cargo..?

[Need to Know Basis]

JNB & VCP are being operated on a full charter / rotation. Yes it is TG paperwork & Southern AOC. But being done with x 1 client risking the complete rotation.

[Acid-drop]

anyone ?
Thai 777 are present daily at LGG now

[hailstone]

are they possibly flying for TNT on either the HKG or PVG legs until TNT get their 777F's next year ?

[ZFT]

A few months old but..


Two senior THAI execs transferred


By Suchat Sritama
The Nation
Published on July 17, 2010

Thai Airways International (THAI) yesterday transferred Pruet Boobhakam, executive vice president of its commercial department, as a special adviser to the office of the president following investigations into the alleged unscrupulous leasing of two cargo aircraft.



Pruet signed the lease with American airline Southern Air while he oversaw the cargo department, without seeking approval from the board of directors, THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand said.
The contract, said to be struck at an extraordinarily high price, was signed 14 days before Piyasvasti officially took the helm.
The disciplinary investigation has been completed, the president said after a board meeting yesterday.
Along with Pruet, the board also moved Charatpong Burutratanaphan, vice president for general administration, as another special adviser.

[Acid-drop]

>are they possibly flying for TNT on either the HKG or PVG legs until TNT get their 777F's next year ?

Could be ... but no.
Their routing is JNB-NBO-LGG-BKK
or India-LGG-BKK.

[Limburg]

>are they possibly flying for TNT on either the HKG or PVG legs until TNT get their 777F's next year ?

Could be ... but no.
Their routing is JNB-NBO-LGG-BKK
or India-LGG-BKK.
& FRA-LGG-JNB

[Flowerdream]

Just to be sure Thai will NOT start flights to LGG, a few charters at the moment, but they decide to operate out of MST as from 13/11.
Routing will be JNB-NBO-MST-BKK with B777F!

[Bob the Dog]

quote
Just to be sure Thai will NOT start flights to LGG, a few charters at the moment, but they decide to operate out of MST as from 13/11.
Routing will be JNB-NBO-MST-BKK with B777F!
unquote

Nbo/Mst, yes possible, and the flower boys ex Nbo want it like that.
Mst/Bkk direct flight with the runway length at Mst, no way.
Going to Jnb ex Mst direct flight not possible, flight will dep ex Fra or Lgg?

[Acid-drop]

I got the confirmation that the flight are for Thai.

Now, flying to MST, when LGG is only 30min by truck and having much better infrastructure, it's a strange idea.

>Mst/Bkk direct flight with the runway length at Mst, no way.
Going to Jnb ex Mst direct flight not possible, flight will dep ex Fra or Lgg?
Maybe empty ?

All together, using MST to save 30min of truck is crazy.
But it's common. Someone has to explain me that one day

[One Outsider]

Someone has to explain me that one day Maastricht is not in Belgium.

[Limburg]

Mst/Bkk direct flight with the runway length at Mst, no way.
AFAIK this was already an empty leg when the flight was operated out of AMS, and MST-BKK is no problem for an empty 777F ;)

[ScootCargoOps]

(Far East)BKK-Africa high demand
JNB-NBO no demand
NBO-Europe flowers etc
Europe-BKK Average loads but TG connections into the Far East/Australia must be pretty good.

Not a bad little routing.....

[Flowerdream]

Actually this is the planned routing:
FRA-JNB JNB-NBO NBO-MST MST-BKK

[Acid-drop]

so you can confirm the flights to LGG and MST last week were just to "test" the airport ?

[Flowerdream]

The DEL flights where some additional charters and DIV from AMS, the JNB/NBO flights had to DIV from MST to LGG because some paperwork.

MST is growing and growing, and does have a great handling company, one of the best in Europe!

[Bob the Dog]

THE RUNWAY IS TO SHORT AT MST.

A problem Mst has had for the last 24 years I have been operating
charters into Mst. The extension of the runway will never come,
this discussion has been finished a long time ago.

It is a welknown fact that MSH is a very good handling company but
again, no runway no big operators.

Bob The Dog.

[Greyhorse Cowboy]

Just one question: what is the name of the handling company at MST, which shall be so qualified ?

Maybe we can learn something !

Thanks
GC

[ScootCargoOps]

Flowerdream - yes but the flights still has to get from BKK back to FRA to start the routing again yes?

Cargo demand from the Far East is strong to Africa and yields are probably double if not triple of what you can achieve FRA-JNB.
I’d say in BKK they’ll fill the freighter with 50/50 mix of European destined cargo and the rest for Africa and then in FRA pick up the balance 50 down to JNB.

Flowerdream - is there still that much demand from NBO into Europe for the flowers with the amount of Aircraft already on the routes. Just seems to be a hell of a lot of freighters in Africa at the moment.

[Bob the Dog]

Greyhorse cowboy

MHS stands for Maastricht Handling Services.
Bear in mind that the people whom were the drive behind Maastricht
Airport left and started a handling company at Lgg.

This Lgg handling company was started together with Avia Partner, when things got tight the Dutch were kicked out. The name was changed from Liege Handling Services (LHS) to Avia Partner.

Bob The Dog.

[Greyhorse Cowboy]

@ Bob The Dog

Thx !

GC

[Acid-drop]

MST is basically a flower airport (as you know, dutch eat flowers for every meal).