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Thailand: Bangkok Airways courts veteran airline executive recently retired from Thai Airways International(Thai Press Reports Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Section: Corporate News - Bangkok Airways is courting a veteran airline executive who just retired from Thai Airways International to join the growing regional airline, the Bangkok Post reports. The privately owned carrier has approached Wallop Bhukkanasut, who retired last month as executive vice-president for commercial affairs at THAI, to take up a senior position. Bangkok Airways founder and chief executive Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth confirmed that there was a standing invitation for Mr Wallop, 60, to join his company's management team. Though no specific title was offered, Mr Wallop would be tasked to look after sales and marketing for Bangkok Airways, probably as senior executive vice-president. ''I told him that we appreciate his knowledge and long experience in the airline industry and want him to work with us,'' Dr Prasert said. Mr Wallop has yet to accept or decline the offer from Bangkok Airways, reportedly he was weighing the job offers from other organisations. He could not be reached for comment on October 11. The possibility of Mr Wallop joining Bangkok Airways has given rise to concerns over whether such a move was breaking the professional ethics in view that he worked for a carrier in direct competition with Bangkok Airways. Critics said Mr Wallop, who had worked for THAI for more than two decades, knew the national carrier inside out, especially its marketing strategies, and such extensive knowledge could give Bangkok Airways an unfair competitive advantage. But Dr Prasert said he did not see anything wrong, given the fact that Mr Wallop had already retired from the national carrier. Bangkok Airways also said that it is not directly competing with THAI. ''We are much smaller (than THAI) and we don't regard THAI as our competitor,'' he said. Only two of 21 routes that Bangkok Airways operates duplicated those of THAI, he explained. Over the past five years, Bangkok Airways, which has branded itself ''Asia's boutique airline'' has been expanding aggressively. It is putting seven brand-new Airbus A319s, each with 144 seats, in its fleet between now and 2009. The airline is in the final stage of talks with the European planemaker Airbus to acquire six A350 XWB, the new generation of mid-sized long-range jets, which would be delivered to the airline starting in 2014. Bangkok Airways has also been negotiating with leasing companies to lease six A330-200s, the long-range jets that offer nearly the same carrying capacity as the A350 XWB (more than 250 passengers) until it receives the new A350s. The A330-200s would enable the carrier to start its first long-haul services to European cities including Frankfurt. But the first long-distance flights are likely to be from Bangkok to Dubai. Bangkok Airways' fleet consists of 17 aircraft: eight ATR 72 propeller models (70 seats), four Boeing 717-200 jets (120 seats), three Airbus 320 airliners (162 seats) and a recently acquired A319. Copyright 2007 Thai News Service, Source: The Financial Times Limited |