Struggling national carrier THAI will promote its online ticketing more aggressively rather than giving a quota to sales agents in one of its first moves to turn its finances around, newly appointed Thai Airways International Plc president Charamporn Jotikasthira said.
On his first day at THAI headquarters Thursday, Mr Charamporn told company executives and staff welcoming him about some of the strategies he wanted to adopt next year to get the financially troubled airline to stand among the world's top five airlines as ranked by Skytrax magazine, which reports on the global aviation industry.
That goal is expected to be achieved within five years after THAI goes through a major reform next year, a move that will result in changes to all aspects of the airline, he said.
Among the changes is ticketing management. Mr Charamporn intends to revamp the company's ticket sales which have in recent years slumped amid stronger competition with other airlines. THAI will carry out more promotions for its online sales. This will prompt a need to improve the quota system currently used with the company's sales agents.
Mr Charamporn's move echoes an earlier suggestion by former THAI president Sorachak Kasemsuwan who supports selling more tickets via the internet, which has become a popular channel, by offering discounts to its passengers.
"We have to closely watch the risk factors of the aviation businesses," said Mr Charamporn, commenting on predictions more than 1,000 new planes will be added to the already fierce competition in Asia.
THAI will also consider other factors as it struggles to get out of its financial problems. The company must be aware of the slower-than-expected recovery of the global economy as well as the dollar appreciation which will lead to lower oil prices. All of them will be heeded as part of the reform, said the former Stock Exchange of Thailand president.
Within one year, Mr Charamporn expects, THAI will gain profits again after encountering ups and downs over the past 10 years, according to an analyst.
Last year and during the first nine months of this year, THAI losses have amounted to more than 21 billion baht.
His reform plans, together with more use of technologies for THAI business management, will be forwarded to the THAI board and so-called super-board, set up by the military regime to oversee state enterprises, for a final say, Mr Charamporn said.