One-Two-Go to fly Dec 5
BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA
One-Two-Go Airlines is preparing to resume flights on Dec 5, after being grounded since July 22 for safety and operational deficiencies. Executives of the privately owned budget carrier, which suffered one of Thailand's worst air crashes, yesterday confirmed the re-launch and have begun accepting reservations.
The airline recently passed a series of rigorous audits by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) of various aspects including safety, quality assurance systems and organisational structure.
The DCA suspended One-Two-Go after discovering substandard safety and management practices, and falsification of documents by some pilots who had misstated their proficiency.
The suspension coincided with a wave of litigation in US courts against the airline by relatives of victims of the Sept 16, 2007 Phuket crash. An MD-82 jetliner operated by the carrier crashed in strong winds and heavy rain after attempting to land at Phuket International Airport, leaving 89 dead and 41 injured.
One-Two-Go is re-starting its flights cautiously on a limited scale in order to gauge market reaction, given the image problems it has been facing.
It will initially offer seven daily flights between Bangkok and five major domestic cities _ Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Hat Yai and Nakhon Si Thammarat. The flights will be operated by MD-80 series jetliners with 172 seats.The carrier has seven of these rear twin-jet aircraft in its fleet which can operate a lot more flights than what it currently has planned.
''We want to see how passengers react to our relaunch and to proceed from there,'' a senior One-Two-Go executive said.
The airline continues to maintain its ticket-sale terms, procedures and offerings as before its grounding about five months ago.
Its tickets are marketed at fixed prices inclusive of fuel surcharges and other extras, with prices dropping on a sliding scale depending on how advanced the bookings are.
For instance, a one-way ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai costs 1,950 baht if booked three days prior to departure, 1,650 baht if booked 14 days in advance, 1,350 baht for 30 days and 1,200 baht for 60 days.
