Thai Tiger Airways :...:...

Thai Airways International Public Company and Tiger Airways Holdings announced Monday that they will jointly launch a new low-fare airline venture, to be called Thai Tiger Airways, to offer service from Bangkok to domestic and international routes.

It is due to start service in the first quarter of 2011, will operate out of Suvarnabhumi International and offer short-haul, point-to-point services within a 5-hr. flying radius.

Thai and an unnamed "Thai entity" will collectively own 51% of Thai Tiger Airways while Tiger Airways will own 49%.

It will most directly face off against AirAsia Thailand, which carried nearly 5 million passengers last year, up 23% over 2008, with a fleet of 20 A320s and 737s.

The joint venture airline raises the bar in low-cost competition in Asia, according to Sydney-based Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. “This could have a major impact on the pace of airline liberalization in the region,” CAPA said in a statement.

Until now, the Thai government has been highly protective of its national flag carrier and has been an impediment to the region’s multilateral timetable for moving toward open skies for Southeast Asian airlines.
“This position could now soften, as high-cost Thai Airways will have the opportunity to meet competition on a more equal footing,” CAPA maintained.

In a statement, Thai President Piyasvasti Amranand said the airline was “pleased to partner with Tiger Airways in establishing Thailand's newest airline....With its disciplined approach to the low-cost model, Tiger Airways has proven that it has the right approach to competing effectively in the growing low-fare travel market in Asia.”

Amranand said the move would “allow Thai to be more competitive in the region with the anticipated growth in the low-cost market as a result of continued ASEAN air liberalization policies by 2015, which we expect will lead to growth in air travel in the Asian market.

Thai Tiger will offer an entirely different line of products to that offered by Thai.”

There could be logistical challenges to setting up the new carrier: According to CAPA, Thai and Tiger “do not even codeshare, let alone cooperate in any other way.”

La low cost Thai Tiger s’envolera en mars 2011

La compagnie aérienne Thai Airways a annoncé vouloir lancer sa nouvelle low cost Thai Tiger Airways dès mars prochain,
La compagnie nationale thaïlandaise s’est alliée avec la low cost singapourienne Tiger Airways pour lancer une nouvelle compagnie à bas coût, Thai Tiger Airways, dont elle détient 51% des parts. Les détails opérationnels de la joint venture sont à l’étude, avec pour but de lancer les premiers vols en mars 2011.
Selon des déclarations du président de Thai, Piyasvasti Amranand, tous les plans de la nouvelle low cost restent ouverts, depuis la composition de la flotte jusqu’à l’étendue du réseau international et domestique. Il a par exemple précisé que l’achat annoncé de 10 Airbus A320 d’ici 2012 n’était pas inscrit dans le marbre, la location d’appareils à Tiger Airways ou à une autre compagnie restant une possibilité.
En ce qui concerne la clientèle visée, M. Piyasvati semble pencher pour des clients n’ayant jamais voyagé. Le réseau couvrira des routes domestiques et internationales n’étant pas desservies par Thai ou sa filiale Nok Air, avec la possibilité de se lancer vers des destinations en Chine et en Inde.
La nomination du président de la nouvelle compagnie a été annoncée pour fin septembre, après l’accord – espéré – des autorités pour délivrer des autorisations de vol à la nouvelle compagnie, qui sera basée à Bangkok.