THAI targets resumption of Moscow service in October

Moscow stands out as the only one of four long-haul destinations axed by THAI last year to see a revival. The flag carrier aims to resume regular flights from Bangkok to the Russian capital in October as the route appears to offer profit potential again despite Russia's economic woes. THAI has opted not to revive its non-stop services from Bangkok to Madrid, Johannesburg and Los Angeles -- routes that incurred heavy losses and plunged the airline into a financial crisis over the past three years. THAI president Charamporn Jotikasthira confirmed the strategic approach as part of an ongoing turnaround scheme. He also made it clear that THAI will never revive flights to Los Angeles should the restrictions imposed by the US FAA on Thai-registered airlines be lifted. "We are not looking at going back to Los Angeles because it is too far, gas-guzzling and crowded with competitors, and we never make money [from the route]," Charamporn said. "We need to look at other cities in North America such as Seattle and Vancouver, which offer more potential if we decide to return to the continent." <br/>