Thai Airways International (THAI) is offering cargo-in-cabin flights, where cargo is stored in the aircraft’s cabin, to seek revenue as air travel demand has not yet fully recovered.
THAI executive Supoj Charoensuk said on Thursday that Thai Airways has kicked off its first cargo-in-cabin flight carrying antigen test kits (ATKs) from Bangkok to Australia this week.
“The cargo-in-cabin solution aims to optimize the cabin space of cargo flights,” Supoj said, adding that it would generate more revenue for the airline.
Supoj mentioned that he is in talks with the fruit exporters’ association in Thailand to help transport the products overseas by cargo-in-cabin service.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has authorized cargo transport in the passenger cabin while the aviation industry is grappling with the Covid-19 impact.
Now Thai Airways is undergoing a business restructuring after recording a loss of 141 billion baht in 2020.
According to its latest financial report, the airline posted a net profit of 51 billion baht for the first nine months of 2021, driven by gains from debt restructuring and the sale of assets and equities.
The airline previously launched its catering website Puff&Pie, offering a food delivery service along with its trademark snack Pa-tong-ko, a Chinese-influenced deep-fried dough stick.