Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has praised Thai Airways International (THAI) for its successful effort in making a speedy recovery.
Gen Prayut congratulated THAI's executives on Friday during his official visit to the THAI headquarters to follow up on its business recovery progress, according to Rachada Dhnadirek, a deputy government spokeswoman.
The trip was also joined by Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Panmeechaow, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Prime Minister's Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, and Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaseth.
During the visit, Gen Prayut stopped by a B777 flight simulator and received a briefing regarding THAI's business recovery progress from the carrier's representatives.
"The national carrier earned 57 billion baht in cash flow this month, which led to the government's satisfaction as it was the highest the carrier had earned in its history," Ms Rachada said.
Not only did the carrier experience a higher cash flow, but it also earned 2.2 billion baht in profit during this year's second quarter, ot 170% growth compared to the same time last year.
According to Ms Rachada, this was the carrier's highest profit in 20 years, and it made a profit in the previous four consecutive quarters.
Ms Rachada said that the government has prioritised and followed the carrier's recovery plan for a long time while supporting it as much as possible to help the carrier succeed on schedule.
The government also inspected the airports to ensure tourists' security.
The tourism industry was seen as improving after the pandemic situation started to calm down, with more foreigners visiting the country, she said.
This fact led to the speedy recovery of the national airline, said Ms Rachada, adding that the income earned from those tourists helped not only the carrier but also the national economy.
With the high amount of cash flow, Gen Prayut entrusted THAI to pay back all its debt to their investors on time by 2025, which helped with the carrier's reputation, she said.
Gen Prayut also made recommendations to THAI's representatives about how to improve aviation efficiency and flight routes for both short and long flights.
