Thailand has "open skies" agreement with Switzerland

On 18 January 2010 the Bangkok Post reported that Thailand had signed an "open skies" agreement with Switzerland replacing an agreement from 1984.

Thailand signs new air services agreements with Denmark, Norway and Sweden

On 16 October 2010 ScandAsia.com reported on the signing the previous day of new air services agreements between Thailand and Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The new agreements replace those signed in 1949. Thai and SAS have long historic links.

Thailand prepared to grant temporary "fifth freedom" rights

On 8 May 2009 the Bangkok Post reported that, in an effort to boost traffic through BKK, the Thai government is prepared to grant temporary fifth freedom air traffic rights to foreign international airlines seeking to operate through Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. The airport is also reducing landing and parking fees.

Kuwait signs "open skies" agreements with Thailand and Brunei

On 22 February 2009 the Thai News Agency reported that Thailand had signed an "open skies" air services agreement with Kuwait.

On 14 April 2009 the Brunei Times reported that Brunei had signed an "open skies" air services agreement with Kuwait.

These moves follow the signing of "open skies" agreements between Kuwait and separately Singapore (see previous post), Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar last year (see 9 September 2008 report from Peanuts!).

New Zealand Minister of Tourism comments on Thai Airways' Auckland service

On 13 August 2008 the Bangkok Post reported comments by the New Zealand Minister of Tourism, Hon Damien O'Connor, on the possibility that Thai Airways International may reroute its current non-stop Bangkok-Auckland flights via Australia (see previous post).

Airline seat capacity reducing from East Asia to New Zealand but trans-Tasman competition increasing

Thai Airways was reported in the Wall Street Journal to be considering routing its non-stop Bangkok-Auckland operations via Australia.

On 26 July 2008 the Star reported that Malaysia Airlines plans to use smaller aircraft on its services to Australia and New Zealand. It is temporarily reducing capacity to Auckland by one flight per week for a month.

On 7 August 2008 the China Post reported that EVA Airways would be suspending its operations to Auckland from 1 September 2008 and Tourism New Zealand would be closing its Taipei office.

By way of background, in 2006 Garuda ceased services from Denpasar to Auckland, and Air New Zealand ceased operations to Singapore when it extended its Hong Kong services to London and commenced services to Shanghai.

On a more positive note for seat capacity to New Zealand, on 18 July 2008 Air New Zealand commenced non-stop operations to Beijing, and Pacific Blue has announced that it will be commencing trans-Tasman services on both the Melbourne-Auckland (from 22 September 2008) and Sydney-Auckland (from 14 October 2008) routes. Emirates is reported in the NZ Herald on 8 August 2008 to be planning to introduce the A380 on services to Auckland from 1 February 2009 and increase the size of aircraft it operates to Christchurch. Royal Brunei has started operating daily to Auckland via Brisbane.

It would be hard to find many examples around the world where so many airlines are competing as on the main trans-Tasman routes.

Thailand and Australia expand air services opportunities

On 23 July 2008 the Australian Minister for Transport announced in a media release that Australia had reached a new air services understanding with Thailand. There will be a phased increased in capacity except for all-cargo operations where limits are removed.

With respect to fifth freedom operations, Thai airlines are not granted rights beyond Australia to the USA and Australian carriers are not granted rights beyond Thailand to China.

Japan-Thailand air services arrangements liberalised?

A 7 August 2007 release from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that route amendments have been made to the Japan-Thailand air services arrangements.

I have seen an unofficial report with further details but nothing official or in the news media in English.

United Kingdom forward programme for possible bilateral air services talks

The UK Department for Transport publishes a list of possible negotiations and when dates are scheduled gives these too. The 1 November 2007 update indicates that this month the UK was looking to hold talks with Jamaica, Thailand and Mauritius.

ASEAN Secretary General says progress towards regional "open skies" is slow

On 24 June 2007 Bloomberg reported comments by Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary General Ong Keng Yong to a World Economic Forum meeting that progress on reaching a limited "open skies" air transport agreement covering routes between ASEAN capitals by 2008 was proving to be slow.