Thai Airways International announces measures in response to SARS outbreak and cancels select flights

Thai Airways International has implemented preventive measures in an attempt to guard against the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) at airports its serves, in provision of inflight service, and related to its ground and inflight personnel.

Mr. Kanok Abhiradee, President of Thai Airways International, said that THAI  had implemented measures to guard against the spread of the SARS virus as follows:

Protective measures for all staff in all functions

Staff must wear surgical mask and latex gloves every time that work is conducted on an aircraft upon flight arrival from an affected country as determined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Check-in staff providing passenger  service at airports in affected countries must wear surgical masks at all times when providing service provision.

After work has been completed, staff must cleanse their hands thoroughly with clean water and disinfecting soap.

Used surgical mask and latex gloves must be disposed of in a specifically designated container, labeled accordingly.

Measures used in the aircraft area

Consideration will be made by the Technical Department to clean and/or change air filters on aircraft that have returned from countries considered affected areas.

Disinfecting spray must be used on all flights returning from countries considered affected areas.

Measures related to inflight service provision

Disinfecting spray must be used on flights departing from countries considered affected areas.

Cabin crew must observe passengers for SARS symptoms related to the respiratory system, such as high fever, coughing, sneezing, and provide  surgical masks for passengers to wear.

Cabin crew must separate the passenger suspected to have SARS symptoms from other passengers, or separate the passenger in a designated area, and inform the International Communicable Disease Control Office, under Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, before the flight lands.

Measures related to customer service

Check-in and boarding gate staff working at airports in Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, China – in Hong Kong, must observe passengers for SARS symptoms. If passengers are observed to have high fever, coughing, and  difficulty breathing, they must provide a doctor’s letter stating they are fit to travel. If the passenger does not have a doctor’s letter, the physician on duty at the respective airport must be contacted to examine the passenger with related symptoms. If there is any doubt to the nature of the passenger’s illness, the passenger may be denied boarding.

In addition, THAI has made flight adjustments to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Greece, according to passenger demand that has decreased on  flights between 27 March – 13 April 2003, at a total of 28 flights, with THAI arranging flight transfers for passengers on other flights operated by THAI, those cancelled flights being as follows:

Bangkok – Busan – Bangkok

- Cancellation of TG 650 and TG 651 on 27 March and on 1, 3, and 8 April 2003, totaling 8 flights.

- Cancellation of TG 654 and TG 655 on 30 March 2003, totaling 2 flights.

Bangkok – Seoul – Bangkok

- Cancellation of TG 656 and TG 657 on 2 and 9 April 2003, totaling 4 flights.

Bangkok – Kaohsiung 
- Cancellation of TG 652 on 4, 7, and 12 April 2003, totaling 3 flights. 

Kaohsiung – Bangkok 
- Cancellation of TG 653 on 5, 8, and 13 April 2003, totaling 3 flights. 

Bangkok – Hong Kong – Bangkok

- Cancellation of TG 600 and TG 601 on 2 and 9 April 2003, totaling 4 flights. 

Bangkok – Athens

- Cancellation of TG 946 and TG 947 on 3 and 10 April 2003, totaling 4 flights.

THAI has set up a Steering Committee and Working Group to consider flight adjustments, responsible for considering the effects from the crisis in Iraq and the SARS outbreak, whereby passengers may inquire about THAI’s flight schedule by calling Tel. (66-2) 628-2000 and (66-2) 280-0060, 24 hours a day.