BANGKOK, Oct 5 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Locals who miss flying amid the COVID-19 pandemic can now get to ‘travel’ without going abroad and undergoing compulsory quarantine – at the training facilities of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (Thai Airways) at Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Bangkok.
Thai Airways is also opening up its training facilities to the public and aviation enthusiasts as well as aspiring pilots.
The airline’s Vice President for Aviation Resources Development, Capt. Chatree Pongsak, said the ‘THAI Flying Experience & Beyond’ project will allow visitors to enjoy the experience of operating a flight simulator for a fee.
“Pilots and co-pilots will accommodate customers throughout the entire session, whereby customers may select from three packages to experience it,” he said.
The Airbus and Boeing flight simulators, equipped with full-motion technology, cost between 500 and 600 million baht each, and have been used by experienced and novice pilots for training. The experience is open to visitors, starting at 12,000 baht (RM1,578) per person for 30 minutes.
Visitors will get into the mock cockpit of Airbus A380, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 747-400, or Boeing 737-400, and experience the thrill of flying an aircraft on their own.
Visitors can also select an airport and pilot the plane through take-off and landing – guided by a trained pilot and simulator instructor – and enjoy a bird’s eye view of iconic landmarks from the cockpit.
Besides flight simulators, visitors can visit Thai Airways’ airline-themed restaurant, the “Royal Orchid Dining Experience”, located a few hundred metres away, to enjoy ‘in-flight’ meals.
As Amaraporn Jantarath, 42, arrived at the restaurant, Thai Airways cabin crew in their uniform welcomed her. She ‘scanned’ her special ‘boarding pass’ before entering the restaurant, where some chairs have been replaced with colourful airplane seats, and some engine parts and old tires were used as furniture to add atmosphere.
“I am a frequent flier of Thai Airways. The restaurant’s decoration and experience of dining in-flight meals remind me of flying and traveling again. I have been here several times since the opening in early September, and I love the food and its atmosphere,” she told Bernama.
Amaraporn was among Thai Airways’ frequent fliers who turned up to lend support to the company which is facing the biggest challenge in its 60-year history as COVID-19 and travel restriction hit hard on the tourism industry.
“When I heard first about the airline-themed restaurant, I decided to (come and) lend support to them,” she said.
Thai Airways Catering Managing Director Varangkana Luerojvong said the restaurant received a good response and serves between 400 to 500 diners a day since it started its operation early last month (September).
“We have plans to turn other offices into similar dining experiences. We also plan to open the restaurant seven days a week,” she said.
She added that Thai Airways is planning to fly passengers on sightseeing tours lasting up to two hours at major tourist attractions such as Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“We hope this service will provide passengers a unique travel experience and at the same time generate income for the airlines,” she said.
Thai Airways is also planning to franchise its business of selling ‘Pa Tong Go’ – deep-fried dough with a dipping sauce made from purple sweet potatoes and egg custard – following overwhelming response.
Each box of ‘Pa Tong Go’ costs 50 baht per box at its five food outlets in Bangkok. Thus far, the business recorded a total monthly sales of about 10 million baht.
Thailand has halted commercial flights since April 4 to curb the spread of COVID-19 and would continue to ground most of its aircraft through October.
Last month, Thailand’s Central Bankruptcy Court ordered the financially ailing Thai Airways to proceed with its restructuring plan. The airline had total liabilities of 332.2 billion baht as of June.
— NNN-BERNAMA