THAI union leader slams pilots' lack of 'the right spirit'

THAI union leader slams pilots' lack of 'the right spirit'

Thai Airways International labour union president Damrong Waiyakanee reacts to 
a question during the news conference at the airline's head office on the attitude of the four pilots on flight TG971 from Zurich to Bangkok on Oct 11, 2018. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
Thai Airways International labour union president Damrong Waiyakanee reacts to a question during the news conference at the airline's head office on the attitude of the four pilots on flight TG971 from Zurich to Bangkok on Oct 11, 2018. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)

Thai Airways International labour union president Damrong Waiyakanee has criticised the pilots involved in the controversy over seating entitlements on a Zurich-Bangkok flight, and urged the airline to use the opportunity to overhaul its operation.

Mr Damrong said pilots were entitled to first-class seats, but in this case they had failed to keep in mind the need to ensure good service for passengers. They did not show the "right spirit".

"If I had been one of them, I would have given the seats to the passengers, or I would have changed my flight," he told a news conference on Monday.

"If we don't have passengers, the airline cannot survive," he said.

Pilots on active duty needed to travel in first-class, but those on passive duty should be more flexible.

The struggling airline faces public criticism over its treatment of passengers on Thai AIrways flight TG971 from Zurich to Bangkok on Oct 11. The flight was delayed on the ground for two-and-a-half hours after the pilots decided not to allow boarding until two passive-duty colleagues deadheading to Bangkok were given first-class seats, although seats were available in business class.

Two paying passengers finally gave up their first-class seats, moving to business, so the plane could take off. They turned out to be Sakda Pankla, former industry deputy secretary-general, and his wife Yuwaree, a science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University.

Ms Yuwaree complained on her Facebook page  about the airline's treatment of the passengers.

"From what happened, I was surprised by the actions of deadhead pilots and on-duty pilots. They should provide service for passengers. Instead, they did it for themselves without taking into mind the feelings of passengers. It was as if the passengers were held hostage to their demands," she wrote on Oct 14.

What had actually delayed the flight did not become public until a complaint Mr Sakda sent to the airline  leaked out. The four pilots were instructed not to discuss the matter in public.

An apology by THAI president Sumeth Damrongchaitham was posted on the airline's Facebook page on Oct 18.

On Oct 11, the Boeing B777-300ER supposed to be used for the flight from Zurich was found to have a problem and a Boeing B747-400 was used instead, with new pilots assigned to the flight.

The pilots who were supposed to fly the B777-300ER were not qualified to fly the 747 and were being returned to Bangkok for their next rotation.  

The B777-300ER did not have first-class seats, but the ageing 747 does. The station manager therefore upgraded all business-class passengers to first-class seats, leaving no seats for the two returning pilots, who refused to accept any of the many seats available in business.

Mr Damrong said the management should take the opportunity to revamp the airline's operation, making it leaner and eliminating overlapping duties. Details on restructuring needed to be thrashed out, he added.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (34)