Thai Airways International and Star Alliance Identify a Range of Projects and Issues for Future Cooperation

Star Alliance and Thai Airways International today announced they have jointly identified a wide range of customer benefit projects and issues which they intend cooperating on in the future, including at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport. 

THAI is one of only five founding members of Star Alliance, one of the world’s most established and largest airline alliances. Star Alliance has now grown to15 members in seven years, with US Airways due to join later this year.

The range of joint initiatives were identified at a high powered joint workshop of Star Alliance and THAI senior executives in Bangkok. The workshop was initiated by THAI President Kanok Abhiradee.

Mr Abhiradee said there were a number of large Star Alliance projects he would like to see THAI get involved in, and also take a lead on. 

“THAI as a founding member of Star Alliance is fully committed to playing an active role in moving Star Alliance projects forward for the best benefit to alliance passengers worldwide. THAI intends to be first in line in making these alliance projects possible, as Star Alliance has become the leading airline alliance in the world and THAI is proud to be a part of it.”

“THAI will take the lead to develop the new airport into an efficient Star Alliance Hub”, said Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Jaan Albrecht. “The opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport is only just around the corner. We are committed to working with THAI to ensure there is one voice heard from THAI and Star Alliance carriers on the airport issue. THAI is well advanced on its development at Suvarnabhumi, which includes representing the interests of Star Alliance carriers servicing Thailand.”

In addition to driving the joint airport planning the workshop identified a number of key issues for further discussion where THAI and Star Alliance can work closely together in Thailand for the customer’s benefit. These included:

- the use the joint purchasing power of the Star Alliance Airlines also in regard of a more intense procurement of Thai originating products throughout the Star Alliance member airlines 

- the development of new customer products with particular focus on Asian travelers and making use of the evolution of modern information technology expertise in the region.

Star Alliance is a global integrated airline network of 15 members established on May 14, 1997. The members are: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airways, Asiana Airlines, bmi, Lufthansa German Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Mexicana Airlines, SAS, Spanair, Singapore airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines and VARIG Brazilian Airlines.