Orient Thai Airlines
Encyclopedia
Orient Thai Airlines Co., Ltd. is an airline
with its head office in Khlong Toei
, Bangkok
, Thailand
. It operates charter and scheduled services in Southeast Asia
. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport
, Bangkok. The airline has been a subject of several safety investigations by the United States National Transportation Safety Board
and Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand after the crash of One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269
, operated by the low-cost domestic arm of the airline.
Orient Thai Airlines is owned by Udom Tantiprasongchai and his wife Nina Tantiprasongchai. The Chief Operating Officer is Cho Tsing Tsang. The airline is managed by CEO Manassanant Tantiprasongchai, daughter of Udom and Nina. The aircraft is owned by GrandMax Group Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company controlled by Nina Tantiprasongchai.
. Scheduled operations have since been restarted. It is wholly owned by private Thai shareholders and has 820 employees (at March 2007). Orient Thai wholly owns One-Two-GO Airlines and has a 49% stake in Kampuchea Airlines.
Orient Thai Airlines was Asia’s first international charter operator. Along with its subsidiary, Kampuchea Airlines
, it provided services to other airlines including Finnair
, Lufthansa
, LTU International
and Merpati. It transported refugees around the world for the International Organization for Migration
(IOM), including returning people to Kosovo
from Australia
and helping Timorese return to East Timor
in 1999 after it won its independence from Indonesia
. It became a designated UN carrier, transporting troops for peacekeeping operations worldwide. Orient Thai Airlines wasn’t just helping refugees get home or troops undertake their missions, its aircraft were also busy flying Muslim Hajj
pilgrims to Saudi Arabia
for various clients, including Air India
and the Saudi royal family
.
Orient Thai Airlines and its now now-defunct wholly owned domestic carrier One-Two-GO Airlines are the only Thai airlines to bear a Royal Seal, made possible due to Udom’s close relationship with the King of Thailand based on Udom’s history of breaking traditional commercial barriers for Thailand.
On September 2004, an Orient Thai 747 flew within 200 meters of Japan's Tokyo Tower over the heart of downtown Tokyo.
On July 22, 2008, after the internet publication of illegally excessive work hours and check fraud Orient Thai and its subsidiaries were ordered to suspend service for 56 days due to failure to train, failure to have a safety program and failure to supervise safe flight, check ride fraud and breaking the law at Orient Thai and One-Two-GO.
On 22 September 2010, Orient Thai took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 aircraft which was previously registered as N548MD and arrived at the Orient Thai hub as HS-STC.
Hong Kong (China)
Thailand
As of November 2011, the Orient Thai Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 23.6 years:
, Thailand
were found to have been cannibalized having eight engines and many other parts removed. Both aircraft were reported to belong to Orient Thai Airlines.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with its head office in Khlong Toei
Khlong Toei
Khlong Toei is a district in central Bangkok, long known for its slum. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River and contains major port facilities. It is also the name of a major market, though not touristic...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It operates charter and scheduled services in Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
, Bangkok. The airline has been a subject of several safety investigations by the United States National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
and Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand after the crash of One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269
One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269
One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 , a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed into a non-frangible embankment beside runway 27 at Phuket International Airport bursting into flames upon impact on September 16, 2007, at about 15:41 ICT during an attempted go-around after an aborted landing, killing 89 of the...
, operated by the low-cost domestic arm of the airline.
Orient Thai Airlines is owned by Udom Tantiprasongchai and his wife Nina Tantiprasongchai. The Chief Operating Officer is Cho Tsing Tsang. The airline is managed by CEO Manassanant Tantiprasongchai, daughter of Udom and Nina. The aircraft is owned by GrandMax Group Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company controlled by Nina Tantiprasongchai.
History
The airline was formerly known as Cambodia International Airlines or CIA. The Cambodian government revoked Cambodia International Airlines' operating licence and thus leaving them without rights to operate from Cambodia. Udom Tantiprasongchai acquired two Boeing 727-200 aircraft and operated them under the name Orient Express Air. This took place circa November, 1995. The Boeing 727 were operated until he acquired ex-Delta L1011 Tri-Stars after which he phased out the Boeing 727s. Orient Thai ceased scheduled operations on 9 January 1998, but continues to operate charter services on behalf of Kampuchea AirlinesKampuchea Airlines
Kampuchea Airlines was an airline based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, operating regional passenger services out of Phnom Penh International Airport.-History:...
. Scheduled operations have since been restarted. It is wholly owned by private Thai shareholders and has 820 employees (at March 2007). Orient Thai wholly owns One-Two-GO Airlines and has a 49% stake in Kampuchea Airlines.
Orient Thai Airlines was Asia’s first international charter operator. Along with its subsidiary, Kampuchea Airlines
Kampuchea Airlines
Kampuchea Airlines was an airline based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, operating regional passenger services out of Phnom Penh International Airport.-History:...
, it provided services to other airlines including Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, LTU International
LTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
and Merpati. It transported refugees around the world for the International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
(IOM), including returning people to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and helping Timorese return to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
in 1999 after it won its independence from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It became a designated UN carrier, transporting troops for peacekeeping operations worldwide. Orient Thai Airlines wasn’t just helping refugees get home or troops undertake their missions, its aircraft were also busy flying Muslim Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
pilgrims to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
for various clients, including Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
and the Saudi royal family
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
.
Orient Thai Airlines and its now now-defunct wholly owned domestic carrier One-Two-GO Airlines are the only Thai airlines to bear a Royal Seal, made possible due to Udom’s close relationship with the King of Thailand based on Udom’s history of breaking traditional commercial barriers for Thailand.
On September 2004, an Orient Thai 747 flew within 200 meters of Japan's Tokyo Tower over the heart of downtown Tokyo.
On July 22, 2008, after the internet publication of illegally excessive work hours and check fraud Orient Thai and its subsidiaries were ordered to suspend service for 56 days due to failure to train, failure to have a safety program and failure to supervise safe flight, check ride fraud and breaking the law at Orient Thai and One-Two-GO.
On 22 September 2010, Orient Thai took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 aircraft which was previously registered as N548MD and arrived at the Orient Thai hub as HS-STC.
Destinations
Orient Thai Airlines serves the following scheduled destinations (as of November 2011):Hong Kong (China)
- Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
– Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
Thailand
- BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
- Don Mueang International Airport Base (currently suspended because of airport closure is closed due to the 2011 Thailand floods2011 Thailand floodsMajor floods are occurring during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand, most severely in the Chao Phraya but also in the Mekong River basin. Beginning in late July and continuing for over three months, the floods have caused 602 reported deaths by early November, affected over 2.3 million people,...
) - Suvarnabhumi AirportSuvarnabhumi AirportSuvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
(Don Mueang flights temporarily being relocated there)
- Don Mueang International Airport Base (currently suspended because of airport closure is closed due to the 2011 Thailand floods
- Chiang MaiChiang MaiChiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
– Chiang Mai International AirportChiang Mai International AirportChiang Mai International Airport is located in Chiang Mai, Thailand.Chiang Mai International Airport is the major gateway to the north of Thailand, and currently the third busiest airport in the country. As of 2010, 17 airlines operate services and more than 3,000,000 passengers, 15,000 flights... - Chiang RaiChiang Rai-Demographics:Official Population count: According to the Thailand National Statistical Office, as of September 2010, Chiang Rai municipal district has a population of 199,699...
– Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport - Hat YaiHat YaiHat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at , it has a population of 157,359 in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest...
– Hat Yai International AirportHat Yai International AirportHat Yai International Airport is the major southern hub airport in Thailand, located near the city of Hat Yai. It is under the management of Airports of Thailand, PCL. It is also an important airport for Muslims on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Annually, more than 800,000 passengers, 9,500 flights... - PhuketPhuket CityPhuket is a city located in the southeast of Phuket Island, Thailand. It is the capital of the Phuket Province, covering all of the island. As of 2007 the city has a population of 75,573 people...
– Phuket International AirportPhuket International AirportPhuket International Airport is an airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is located in the north of Phuket Island, 32 kilometres from the centre of Phuket City. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket Island is a popular resort destination... - TrangTrangTrang is the capital of Trang Province, Thailand. The city has a population of 59,637 and covers the whole tambon Thap Thiang of Mueang Trang district....
– Trang AirportTrang AirportTrang Airport is located in Tambon Khok Lo, Mueang Trang district, Trang Province, 7 km from Trang town centre.-Airline and destinations:- Statistics :* Movements - 870* Passenger departures - 51,992* Transit - 72... - Nakhon Si ThammaratNakhon Si ThammaratNakhon Si Thammarat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the Nakhon Si Thammarat district. It is about south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The city was the administrative center of southern Thailand during most of its history. ...
– Nakhon Si Thammarat AirportNakhon Si Thammarat AirportNakhon Si Thammarat Airport is an airport serving Nakhon Si Thammarat, a town in the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province of Thailand. Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport is located in Muang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province away from city of Nakhon Si Thammarat 14 Kilometers. Capacity of arrival terminal ... - Udon ThaniUdon ThaniUdon Thani is a city in Isan, north-east Thailand, and the capital of Udon Thani Province.-Location:The province of Udon Thani has a population of 1,467.200, the city alone 500.000. Geographical location and is approximately 560 km from Bangkok...
– Udon Thani International AirportUdon Thani International AirportUdonthani International Airport is an airport located near the city of Udon Thani in Udon Thani Province in the northeast region of Thailand. It is approximately 280 miles northeast of Bangkok...
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
3 | All equipped with winglets |
| Boeing 747-300 | 3 | |
| Boeing 747-400 | 2 | Operated for Saudi Arabian Airlines Saudi Arabian Airlines Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America... |
| Boeing 767-300 | 2 | One aircraft stored |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | 2 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 2 | |
| Total | 14 | |
Incidents
During investigations into suspected tax evasion conducted by the Thai Crime Suppression Unit (CSD), two Boeing 747 aircraft parked at Phitsanulok AirportPhitsanulok Airport
Phitsanulok Airport is an airport serving Phitsanulok, a city in the Phitsanulok Province of Thailand. The airport is located south of the city's downtown area.-Airlines and destinations:- Miscellaneous :...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
were found to have been cannibalized having eight engines and many other parts removed. Both aircraft were reported to belong to Orient Thai Airlines.